Britishvolt, a prospective battery manufacturer based in the UK, is facing additional challenges as its rescuers were targeted in a tax raid by Australian police on Friday.
Authorities visited the offices of Scale Facilitation, the owner of Britishvolt purchaser Recharge Industries, and SaniteX, to confiscate IT and communication equipment, as per reports.
Earlier this year, Recharge agreed to acquire Britishvolt after its collapse, reviving plans for the company’s Northumberland-based electric vehicle battery plant. However, payment for the potential site has not yet been made.
The factory was expected to support around 3,000 skilled jobs and would eventually provide power units for electric vehicles. This news represents another setback for Britishvolt, which collapsed after it was unable to secure government funding.
Following the raid on its North Geelong offices, Scale Facilitation denied any misconduct, attributing the concerns to a misunderstanding regarding the different procedures for US and Australian tax filings.
However, reports from The Australian suggest that Scale Facilitation employees have not been paid in recent weeks, raising concerns about the company’s cash flow.
A spokesperson for Scale stated, “We have and will continue to fully cooperate with the Australian tax office. We deny any wrongdoing and will continue working with our legal and other advisers to defend any matters arising from these discussions.”
