The Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

[F1 Prosecution of delinquent officers of company N.I.

13GB.— (1) This Article applies where a moratorium has been obtained for a company.

(2) If it appears to the monitor that any past or present officer of the company has committed an offence in connection with the moratorium, the monitor must forthwith—

(a) report the matter to the Department, and

(b) provide the Department with such information and give it such access to and facilities for inspecting and taking copies of documents (being information or documents in the possession or under the control of the monitor and relating to the matter in question) as it requires.

(3) Where a matter is reported to the Department under paragraph (2), the Department may, for the purpose of investigating the matter and such other matters relating to the affairs of the company as appear to the Department to require investigation, exercise any of the powers which are exercisable by inspectors appointed under section 431 or 432 of the Companies Act 1985.

(4) For the purpose of such an investigation any obligation imposed on a person by any provision of the Companies Acts to produce documents or give information to, or otherwise to assist, inspectors so appointed is to be regarded as an obligation similarly to assist the Department in its investigation.

(5) Where a question is put to a person in exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph (3), the person’s answer may be used in evidence against them.

(6) However, in criminal proceedings in which the person is charged with an offence other than a false statement offence—

(a) no evidence relating to the answer may be adduced, and

(b) no question relating to it may be asked,

by or on behalf of the prosecution, unless evidence relating to it is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, in the proceedings by or on behalf of the person.

(7) In paragraph (6) “false statement offence” means an offence under Article 7 or 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (S.I. 1979/1714 (N.I. 19)) (false statements made on oath otherwise than in judicial proceedings or made otherwise than on oath).

(8) Where the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland institutes criminal proceedings following any report under paragraph (2), the monitor, and every officer and agent of the company past and present (other than the defendant), must give the Director all assistance in connection with the prosecution which they are reasonably able to give.

(9) For this purpose “agent” includes any banker or solicitor of the company and any person employed by the company as auditor, whether that person is or is not an officer of the company.

(10) The High Court may, on the application of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland, direct a person who has failed to comply with paragraph (8) to comply with it.]

F1 Pt. 1A inserted (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), ss. 4(1), 49(1) (with ss. 2(2), 5(2))