The biggest problem Taste of Egypt faced was its non-attendance at the investigation meeting.

A Richmond takeaway restaurant company has been ordered to pay $92,000 in unpaid wages, penalties, interest and costs after the Employment Relations Authority determined that it underpaid two foreign workers and provided false evidence when under investigation.

Taste of Egypt Ltd in Sundial Square has been sold for $70,000 but its owners and directors, Dianne MacFarlane and Saeed Awad, have a second takeaway restaurant of that name in Papanui Rd, Christchurch.

Authority member Michael Loftus found that the business's treatment of Richmond workers Rohit Sharma and Gurpreet Singh was extraordinarily bad and warranted a significant penalty.

"Having considered the evidence or lack thereof from Taste of Egypt I consider a strong statement of condemnation for multiple infractions is justified," he wrote in his determination.

He ordered that by 4pm on December 3 Taste of Egypt must pay $64,559 in arrears of wages and holiday pay to be disbursed to Sharma and Singh, $3791 in interest, $20,000 in penalties under the Employment Relations Act 2000 and $3571 in costs.

Taste of Egypt's Nelson lawyer, Tony Stallard, said the determination was under appeal "and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment".

The Labour Inspectorate took the case to the ERA after an investigation prompted by a member of the public in April last year. That person had worked nearby and been concerned by the conditions under which Sharma and Singh appeared to be working.

He had raised his concerns with them and learned they were working more than 70 hours a week, but only being paid for 30.

Taste of Egypt supplied almost identical statements from Sharma and Singh, concluding they were "happy with everything" but both men claimed the statements were written by MacFarlane, and they had signed under duress.

They also both said they were told failure to sign would see the company liquidated, their jobs would go, and that would have consequences for their attempts to remain in New Zealand.

There were surveillance cameras in the restaurant and the men said these were monitored by Awad and MacFarlane from their Richmond home. If Awad saw either employee allegedly underperforming or not doing anything productive, he would telephone and remonstrate with him.

Their jobs ended on September 10 this year after Taste of Egypt sold its Nelson operation.

Loftus said Taste of Egypt had an "ongoing predilection for casting claims of wrongdoing against the Labour Inspectorate and its clients" but he had no qualms in accepting the evidence of the labour inspector as being "vastly superior" to Taste of Egypt.

He said the biggest problem Taste of Egypt faced was its non-attendance at the investigation meeting on October 19.

"Its evidence is nothing more than an untested affidavit and even its authenticity is questionable."

As well as unpaid wages, the claims covered failing to pay minimum wages, failing to pay statutory holidays appropriately, failing to pay alternate holiday pay, failing to provide annual leave, failing to maintain individual wage and time records, and failing to maintain leave records.

In a statement, Labour Inspectorate regional manager Kevin Finnegan said exploitation of workers was not acceptable in our society and breached New Zealand law.

"Migrant workers are a particularly vulnerable section of the workforce and are an increasing focus for the ministry's enforcement operations," he said.

"This ruling sends a clear message to employers that failure to comply with the minimum labour standards will not be tolerated."

Finnegan said anyone in this situation, or who knew of anyone in this situation, should call its contact centre on 0800 20 90 20, where their concerns would be handled in a safe environment.