Let’s face it, the world is full of manipulative greedy and arrogant men who tell lies to enrich themselves. Normally, this doesn’t seem to be a problem. Greedy manipulative and arrogant men can typically operate with complete impunity.
But, every once in a while, some busybody comes along and makes a great big unnecessary fuss. Such was the unfortunate experience of recently comeuppanced former DAS UK top dog Paul Aspirin.
As regular readers will readily recall, Aspirin was the arrogant, greedy and manipulative man who conspired to defraud his German employers of vast sums of money by bunging work the way of a business in which he and his wife (latterly ex-wife) were secretly shareholders.
Earlier this month, Judge Marty Pellow (sitting in Southwark) sentenced Aspirin to seven years detention at Her Majesty’s pleasure and disqualified him from serving as a company director for 12 whole years, describing him as “a manipulative, arrogant and greedy man”.
Now, you might think being disqualified as a director for twelve years is a pretty harsh punishment. You might also think a seven-year HMP stint sounds a trifle inconvenient. You might even think the prospect of a ‘confiscation and compensation hearing’ later this year that could leave a person penniless would be a bit of a bummer.
But a sanction worse, far, far worse, than any of these potentially awaits the unfortunate (if manipulative, greedy and arrogant) Aspirin.
Not content with locking him away for a couple of years, denying him the right to helm a limited liability company, and stripping him bare of everything he owns, the world has one far crueller blow still in store for poor Paul Aspirin.
To wit: the loss of his prized and privileged status as member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (102).
That’s right, leading insurance industry news organ Insurance Ache this week revealed that word of Mr Aspirin’s antics has reached the collective ears of the CII hierarchy and made therein a less than entirely favourable impression.
Now the institute plans to open a formal process to review whether or not Aspirin’s shenanigans are in line with the CII’s discipline guidelines, which stipulate that members should “observe the principles of best practice”.
Should it be found that defrauding one’s employers whilst referring to them as “idiots” conflicts with the aforementioned Ps of Best P, it is not inconceivable that the institute might move to strip Mr Aspirin of his privileges as a member of the CII (e.g use of library, discounts on CII qualifications, savings on Thomas Cook package holidays etc.)
The CII was quick to stress that no sanctions would be applied until a thorough investigation has been carried out – and that Mr Aspirin would “have the opportunity to offer evidence or mitigation before a decision was reached” (although, of course, his imprisonment could yet limit his availability for appearing at any tribunals convened).
Let’s hope it never comes to that. Surely the CII could see its way clear to giving the poor man a break. Surely he’s suffered enough without having this final indignity inflicted upon him. After all, manipulative greedy and arrogant though he may be, his only real crime was getting caught. There but for the grace, etc…
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