Operating Without a Company Licence
New Zealand | 5 November 2026
A Christchurch security company and its director have been fined a combined $14,000 after admitting multiple breaches of New Zealand's private security laws.
Mann Security Solutions Limited and director Paradise Mann were found guilty of misconduct by the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority (PSPLA) following an investigation into the company's operations, employment of security workers and failure to meet annual reporting requirements.
In a decision released on October 28, 2026, Deputy Licensing Authority K Currie found the company had operated without the required licence for almost a year, continued using security workers without appropriate certificates of approval and failed to meet its statutory reporting obligations.
The investigation began after compliance officers visited a licensed hospitality venue on Manchester Street in Christchurch on October 6, 2023. Security staff working at the venue told investigators they were employed by Mann Security Solutions.
Investigators subsequently established that the company had been providing security services at the venue since September 15, 2023, despite not holding the required company licence.
Mann received a formal warning on October 9, 2023, advising him of the legal requirement to hold a licence when operating a crowd control business. However, the company continued providing security services without a company licence until August 20, 2024.
The Authority also found the company had continued to engage two workers, identified in the decision as Mr M and Mr K, without the appropriate certificates of approval.
Both workers were engaged in security duties between August 2024 and September 2025, contrary to section 45 of the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010.
The company was also found to have breached its annual return obligations.
Investigators reported that an annual return had been filed late and contained inaccuracies requiring further work before it could be accepted.
During the proceedings, Mann and the company accepted the allegations and acknowledged that their conduct had fallen short of the standards required under the Act.
Their lawyer submitted that the breaches had resulted from a lack of knowledge of regulatory requirements and said improvements had since been made to the company's operations.
The Complaints, Investigation and Prosecution Unit had argued that the seriousness and duration of the breaches warranted consideration of licence cancellation.
It also raised the possibility of referring some matters for prosecution.
However, Currie decided that continued regulatory supervision would better serve the public interest.
He said regulatory oversight was essential to ensuring Mann and the company complied with their legal obligations.
The Authority imposed $14,000 in fines across four complaints, with $8000 imposed on Mann personally and $6000 on the company.
Both Mann and Mann Security Solutions were ordered to obtain membership of the New Zealand Security Association within three months.
They must also engage an independent security consultant for at least six months to help improve company policies, operational procedures and regulatory compliance. The consultant must provide monthly reports to the Licensing Authority, with the company responsible for the associated costs.
The company must also work towards completing the New Zealand Security Association accreditation process within 12 months.
Formal reprimands were issued as part of the disciplinary outcome.
Despite the findings, the Authority chose not to cancel Mann's certificate of approval or the company's security licence.
The decision highlights the obligations placed on security businesses to hold the appropriate licences, ensure workers are properly approved and maintain accurate regulatory records.
The findings were made through the PSPLA disciplinary process, rather than a criminal prosecution.
The decision is publicly recorded as 2026 NZPSPLA 102, dated October 28, 2026.