CMA imposes first individual dawn-raid concealment penalties in bid-rigging probe
The CMA fined a construction firm's estimating director £20,000, its office manager £5,000 and the company £25,000 for removing a work phone and documents during a dawn raid into suspected roofing bid-rigging — a first for individuals.
On 24 September 2026 the CMA published decisions arising from a 10 December 2024 warrant search of M&J Group Construction & Roofing during a suspected bid-rigging investigation in roofing services. Estimating director Barry Pirrie instructed office manager Tracey Woods to remove a work mobile and paperwork at 8:35 am, then told officers he had no work phone; external lawyers handed the items over at about 4:00 pm. The CMA found they held evidence of Pirrie's involvement.
Penalties were £20,000 (Pirrie), £5,000 (Woods) and £25,000 (M&J), under the section 28 search-warrant power capped at £30,000 at the time; since 1 January 2025 the cap for companies can be exceeded up to 1% of turnover. Aggravating factors included flagrant intentional conduct, seniority and personal advantage, diversion of officer resources, and deterrence — expressly including junior staff who follow a superior's directions. Woods's mitigation reduced, but did not erase, her exposure.
Read alongside the 2019 Fender penalty and Commission decision AT.40882 (€15.9 million), the message is that dawn-raid risk now extends to individuals. Pressure-test raid protocols, rehearse retention steps, and keep a register of work-issued devices. Watch for follow-on bid-rigging proceedings and recalculated notices under the turnover-based cap.