The Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 No. 2405 (NI. 19)

PART V N.I. WINDING UP OF COMPANIES REGISTERED UNDER [F1 the Companies Act 2006]

F1 Words in Pt. V heading substituted (1.10.2009) by Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), arts. 2(1), 8, Sch. 1 para. 111(2) (with art. 10)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. V modified (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), ss. 13, 49(1) (with ss. 2(2), 5(2))

C2 Pts. 1-5 modified by S.R. 2004/307 (as amended (1.10.2006) by Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006/377), reg. 3, Sch. 2; (temp.) (27.4.2020 retrospective) by virtue of Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), Sch. 11 para. 8(1)(2), 14 (with ss. 2(2), 5(2)); (26.6.2020) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/643), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 (with reg. 3); (16.2.2021) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/60), reg. 1(1), Sch. 2 (with reg. 4(2)))

C3 Pts. 1-5 applied (with modifications) (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2021/716, Sch. 1A para. 3 (as inserted by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1399), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1)

CHAPTER X N.I. MALPRACTICE BEFORE AND DURING LIQUIDATION; PENALISATION OF COMPANIES AND COMPANY OFFICERS; INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C4 mod. by SR 2004/307

Offences of fraud, deception, etc. N.I.

Fraud, etc., in anticipation of winding up N.I.

170.—(1) F2 When a company is ordered to be wound up by the High Court, or passes a resolution for voluntary winding up, any person who, being a past or present officer of the company, has, within the 12 months immediately preceding the commencement of the winding up—

(a) concealed any part of the company's property to the value of £500 or more, or concealed any debt due to or from the company, or

(b) fraudulently removed any part of the company's property to the value of £500 or more, or

(c) concealed, destroyed, mutilated or falsified any book or paper affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs, or

(d) made any false entry in any book or paper affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs, or

(e) fraudulently parted with, altered or made any omission in any document affecting or relating to the company's property or affairs, or

(f) pawned, pledged or disposed of any property of the company which has been obtained on credit and has not been paid for (unless the pawning, pledging or disposal was in the ordinary way of the company's business),

shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Such a person as is mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence if within the period mentioned in that paragraph he has been privy to the doing by others of any of the things mentioned in sub‐paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) of that paragraph; and he shall be guilty of an offence if, at any time after the commencement of the winding up, he does any of the things mentioned in sub‐paragraphs (a) to (f) of that paragraph, or is privy to the doing by others of any of the things mentioned in sub‐paragraphs (c) to (e) of that paragraph.

(3) For the purposes of this Article, “officer” includes a shadow director.

(4) It is a defence—

(a) for a person charged under sub‐paragraph (a) or (f) of paragraph (1) (or under paragraph (2) in respect of the things mentioned in either of those sub‐paragraphs) to prove that he had no intent to defraud, and

(b) for a person charged under sub‐paragraph (c) or (d) of paragraph (1) (or under paragraph (2) in respect of the things mentioned in either of those sub‐paragraphs) to prove that he had no intent to conceal the state of affairs of the company or to defeat the law.

(5) Where a person pawns, pledges or disposes of any property in circumstances which amount to an offence under paragraph (1)(f), every person who takes in pawn or pledge, or otherwise receives, the property knowing it to be pawned, pledged or disposed of in such circumstances, shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction on indictment, be liable to the same penalty as if he had been convicted of handling stolen goods.

(6) The money sums specified in sub‐paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1) are subject to increase or reduction by order under Article 362(1)(a).

F2 mod. by SR 2004/307

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 Art. 170 modified (temp.) (retrospective to 27.4.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), Sch. 11 para. 8(1)(2), 11 (with ss. 2(2), 5(2))

C6 Art. 170 applied (with modifications) (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2021/716, reg. 37A (as inserted by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1399), regs. 1(2), 12)