Roofing Director Fined £20,000 for Hiding Phone in CMA Bid-Rigging Raid

The Competition and Markets Authority has fined roofing contractor M&J Group and two of its staff a total of £50,000 for hiding a mobile phone and documents during a dawn inspection.

The raid on M&J's business premises formed part of a CMA investigation into 12 construction companies suspected of bid rigging on roofing work for school improvement jobs. The regulator is examining whether these companies illegally colluded when bidding for contracts awarded by both private and public sector bodies, including projects funded through the Department for Education's Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

The penalties concern failures to comply with the CMA's investigatory requirements. They are separate from any findings of the competition investigation, which remains ongoing. The CMA stressed that no assumptions should be made about whether competition law has been broken.

During the inspection, M&J's Estimating Director, Barry Pirrie, instructed the firm's Office Manager, Tracey Woods, to remove a work mobile phone and paperwork from the premises. The aim was to prevent the evidence from being found by CMA investigators.

Pirrie also falsely told CMA officers that he did not have a work mobile phone.

The concealed items were brought back and handed over later the same day. But the CMA judged that hiding the evidence, even temporarily, risked the loss of relevant information and wasted valuable investigative time and resource.

The fines break down as follows: Pirrie received £20,000, Woods £5,000, and M&J Group £25,000.

The case signals the CMA's willingness to punish obstruction independently of any cartel findings. With the underlying bid-rigging investigation into the 12 roofing contractors still open, firms connected to CIF-funded school improvement work face continued scrutiny.