Insolvency Act 1985

184 Failure to hand over property etc.

(1) The bankrupt shall be guilty of an offence if—

(a) he does not to the best of his knowledge and belief disclose all the property comprised in his estate to the official receiver or the trustee of that estate; or

(b) he does not inform the official receiver or that trustee of any disposal of any property which but for the disposal would be so comprised, stating how, when, to whom and for what consideration the property was disposed of;

but paragraph (b) above shall not apply to any disposal in the ordinary course of a business carried on by the bankrupt or to any payment of the ordinary expenses of the bankrupt or his family.

(2) The bankrupt shall be guilty of an offence if—

(a) he does not deliver up possession to the official receiver or trustee, or as the official receiver or trustee may direct, of such part of the property comprised in his estate as is in his possession or under his control and possession of which he is required by law so to deliver up;

(b) he conceals any debt due to or from him or conceals any property the value of which is not less than the prescribed amount and possession of which he is required to deliver up to the official receiver or trustee; or

(c) in the period of twelve months ending with the presentation of the petition or between the presentation of the petition and the commencement of the bankruptcy, he did anything which would have been an offence under paragraph (b) above if the order had been made immediately before he did it.

(3) The bankrupt shall be guilty of an offence if he removes, or between the presentation of the petition and the commencement of the bankruptcy removed, any property the value of which was not less than the prescribed amount and possession of which he has or would have been required to deliver up to the official receiver or the trustee of his estate.

(4) The bankrupt shall be guilty of an offence if he without reasonable excuse fails, on being required to do so by the official receiver or by the court—

(a) to account for the loss of any substantial part of his property incurred in the period of twelve months ending with the presentation of the petition or between the presentation of the petition and the commencement of the bankruptcy; or

(b) to give a satisfactory explanation of the manner in which such a loss was incurred.

(5) References in this section to property comprised in the bankrupt's estate or to property possession of which is required to be delivered up to the official receiver or the trustee of a bankrupt's estate include references to any property which would be such property if a notice in respect of it were given under section 154 or 155 above.