The owner of a liquidated travel agency has challenged companies and individuals who have accused him of payment defaults and credit card fraud to present documentary proof or face possible legal action.
Nimesh Kumar Amin, Managing Director of Greenwoods Corner Travel (1987) Limited, which traded as Panworld Travel located at Unit B, 6B Savill Drive, Mangere East, Auckland also denied rumours that he had left the country or went into hiding. He visited our office hours before this issue went to press, stating that his competitors and other adversaries were fabricating stories to discredit his name and image in the community.
Public Notices
“I placed Greenwoods Corner Travel (1987) Limited into voluntary liquidation and published Notice of Appointment of Liquidators and Notice to Creditors in New Zealand Herald issue dated February 4, 2014. It was my decision to liquidate the company because I have suffered losses valued at about $890,000, mainly because of unpaid airfares by clients,” he said.
The Public Notice said that the Company had appointed on February 3, 2014 (at 11 am) Paul Graham Sargison, Chartered Accountant, and Simon Dalton, Chartered Certified Accountant as liquidators.
The Notice also fixed March 5, 2014 as the final day on or before which creditors should prove their debts or claims and establish any title that they may have under Section 312 of the Companies Act 1993.
Mr Amin said that all enquiries should be sent to Gerry Rea Partners, P O Box 3015, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140; Phone (09) 3773099; Fax: (09) 3773098.
Some travel agents had earlier referred us to a circular issued by The Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) on February 5, followed by a Public Notice in New Zealand Herald issue dated February 7, 2014.
The Notice asked “the members of the public having any claims upon Greenwoods Corner Travel (1987) Limited or enquiries about travel arrangements may lodge these in writing to info@taanz.org.nz, or visit www.taanz.org.nz for further information.”
Mr Amin told us that he failed to understand the purpose of this Notice.
“Greenwoods Corner Travel (1987) Limited does not have any outstanding payment to TAANZ. We have given a bank guarantee, which is the basis on which airlines allow us to issue tickets. Anyone who has documentary evidence of any money owed to them should contact our liquidators on or before March 5, 2014,” he said.
Sponsorship payments
We asked him about complaints that he had not paid many event organisers sponsorship money as agreed.
“This is utterly untrue. In fact, many of the organisers owe my travel agency money for the tickets purchased for the travel of celebrities, show managers, agents and others. More than 90% of the amount due to us should come from these organisers,” he said.
According to Mr Amin, the organiser of a recently held show owed his travel agency about $400,000 for the travel of more than 100 members of the crew including technicians and others.
“No one knows or understands the agony that I have suffered because of these events. People complain about non-payment of sponsorship fees, which is negligible compared to the cost of tickets issued. I challenge these people to prove that I owe them money,” he said.
Tauqir Khan, who works at another travel agency, sent us the following by email as we were preparing this issue for printers:
“I was expecting the liquidation of Greenwoods Corner Travel trading as Panworld Travel.
“As Greenwoods Corner Travel was never ever mentioned anywhere but another Company Panworld Travel was registered by the same Director at the same address. Now the licenced Company is in receivership and Panworld Travel is fully operative.
“Public and Airlines have lost monies to Greenwoods Corner Travel, trading as Panworld Travel (in liquidation) and Panworld is saying, ‘money you paid to the Company has been liquidated.’
“The concerned authority must investigate as to whether its income supported all overheads and how a Company in liquidation has been sold immediately after voluntary liquidation.”
The following was the reaction of Mr Amin:
“I am amused that Mr Khan was ‘expecting’ the Company to be liquidated. There is no money owed to airlines or customers, in the latter case, those who have fully utilised our services. Our Public Notice is clear in this respect,” he said.
Credit Cards
Dr Shirish Karnik of Auckland wrote to us saying that he had booked tickets for the travel of his wife and daughter with Panworld office in Sandringham in November 2013 and credit payment was processed on December 2, 2013.
“There was another debit on January 7, 2014. After consulting my banker, I contacted Panworld Travel. They accepted the mistake and advised that the payment would be reversed. It took several phone calls and reminders before the agency made a cheque payment and the money was credited into my account only on January 22, 2014,” he said.
Mr Amin denied the above allegations, saying that the facts were otherwise and that anyone can contact the Liquidators if they are owed any money.
Editor’s Note: Readers may respond to editor@indiannewslink.co.nz
