Prospective UK-based battery producer Britishvolt faces further woes after its rescuers were hit in a tax raid by Australian police on Friday.
Law enforcers went to the offices of Scale Facilitation, which owns Britishvolt buyer Recharge Industries, and SaniteX to seize IT and communications equipment, according to reports.
Recharge agreed to buy Britishvolt out of collapse earlier this year, reviving plans for the firm’s Northumberland-based electric vehicle battery plant, but is yet to pay for the prospective site.
Some 3,000 skilled jobs were set to be supported by the factory, which would ultimately supply power units for electric cars, though the news marks another blow for Britishvolt which collapsed after failing to access government funding.
Scale Facilitation denied any wrongdoing following the raid on its North Geelong offices, arguing the concerns were due to a misunderstanding over different procedures for US and Australian tax filings.
However, Scale Facilitation staff have also reportedly gone unpaid in recent weeks, according to publication The Australian, raising questions about the company’s cash flow.
“We have and will continue to fully cooperate with the Australian tax office,” Scale said through a spokesperson. “We deny any wrongdoing and will continue working with our legal and other advisers to defend any matters arising from these discussions.”