On 14 May 2025, Charles Ibikunle pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court to 2 counts of fraud in relation to a pair of forged SIA licences found in his possession.
The Metropolitan Police stopped Mr Ibikunle while he was driving a vehicle, at which point they found the 2 licences which were later confirmed to be forged. The Metropolitan Police then referred this case to the SIA.
The SIA invited Mr Ibikunle to attend an interview about the forged licences, which he declined to attend. This resulted in a court summons.
In response to his guilty plea, the court ordered Mr Ibikunle to pay a fine of £1,000 for each offence, as well as a victim surcharge of £400 and prosecution costs of £200, totalling £2,600.
Tara Moutray, SIA Criminal Investigations Manager, said:
Charles Ibikunle put the public at risk by forging SIA licences. Being responsible for other people’s security is a significant responsibility and requires dedicated training that Mr Ibikunle did not have. I am happy to see that the court imposed a sizeable financial penalty as a result of these offences.
We’re grateful to our partners in the Metropolitan Police for their support, not just in this case but for the SIA’s work as a whole.
Background
By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence. Information about SIA enforcement and penalties can be found on GOV.UK/SIA.
The offence relating to the Fraud Act 2006 that is mentioned above is:
- Section 6 – Possession of articles for use in fraud
The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).
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