Brothers Ahmet and Sahin Gok, who run Meze Mangal on Lewisham Way, are being pursued under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) – legislation typically used to recover profits from serious criminal activity.
Lewisham Council is seeking a £2.5 million confiscation order, which it says relates to “criminal profits” made from the continued use of an extractor fan installed without planning permission.
The Gok family say the issue began several years ago after a neighbour complained about cooking smells and noise.
In response, they claim to have spent around £50,000 on a new extraction system to resolve the problem.
However, Lewisham Council said the fan was fitted without seeking planning permission, and that it continued to receive complaints about smoke and smells disturbing surrounding homes.
(Image: Meze Mangal)
The owners submitted a retrospective planning application, but the Council rejected it on the grounds that it did not adequately address residents’ complaints.
The Goks appealed that decision, but the Council’s refusal was later upheld by the Secretary of State.
Despite this, the family say they kept the extraction system in place to avoid renewed complaints from neighbours.
On their fundraising page, the post reads: “Ahmet and Sahin Gok are brothers, restaurateurs, and proud members of the Lewisham community.
“For more than 20 years, they have run Meze Mangal, their family restaurant at 245 Lewisham Way.
“Many people have dined with them, celebrated with them, and shared memories under their roof.
“Meze Mangal has always been more than a restaurant – it is a home for their family and a hub for the community.
“At that point, they made what they thought was the right choice: they left the extractor in place.
“They believed it was more important to keep peace with their neighbours and maintain the restaurant’s reputation than to follow what felt like an unreasonable decision.
“They never imagined this would become the biggest mistake of their lives.”
“Instead of working with them, Lewisham Council escalated matters in the most extreme way possible.
“What should have been a simple planning issue has now been turned into a criminal prosecution under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) – a law created to target serious organised crime.”
The brothers say the legal action has had a devastating impact on their lives.
Their business bank account has been frozen, their passports have been seized, and both their parents passed away during the course of the case.
They have launched a crowdfunding campaign, which has raised nearly £15,000 to help cover mounting legal costs.
In another statement to supporters, they wrote: “We are asking for fairness and the means to fight an absurd case in court.
“This is a disproportionate and unjust use of POCA powers against small local businesses.”
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said the case has been ongoing since before 2018 and that prosecution was a “last resort.”
The statement says: “We always try to resolve cases informally, and prosecution is an absolute last resort.
“The vast majority of the hundreds of planning enforcement cases are dealt with by us in this way.
“This has been a long-running case since neighbours complained about the smoke, noise and smells from the restaurant before 2018.
“In 2019 the restaurant owners said they would remove the extraction system once their planning appeal had been dismissed.
“However, the restaurant continues to operate with the illegal extractor eight years after this case was opened.
“Had the extraction system been removed at any point during that time, then no further action would have been necessary.
“We are open to working with the restaurant to resolve the planning breach.
“Last month (September), we carried out a site inspection with the owners and offered advice on steps required to put a new system in place.
“The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) has arisen because they have been found guilty by the Court of a criminal offence.
“The Court ordered confiscation of passports because the defendants did not turn up at Court hearings. This was a matter for the Court and we had no involvement.
“Similarly, the financial investigation and penalties are guided by the rules set out in the Proceeds of Crime Act and the decisions of the Court.
“Our priority now is to ensure this matter is resolved as quickly as possible and we remain committed to working with the restaurant owners.”
