PART VWINDING UP OF COMPANIES REGISTERED UNDER THE COMPANIES ORDERS

CHAPTER VIWINDING UP BY THE HIGH COURT

Investigation procedures

Company's statement of affairs111.

(1)

Where the High Court has made a winding‐up order or appointed a provisional liquidator, the official receiver may require some or all of the persons mentioned in paragraph (3) to make out and submit to him a statement in the prescribed form as to the affairs of the company.

(2)

The statement shall be verified by affidavit by the persons required to submit it and shall show—

(a)

particulars of the company's assets, debts and liabilities;

(b)

the names and addresses of the company's creditors;

(c)

the securities held by them respectively;

(d)

the dates when the securities were respectively given; and

(e)

such further or other information as may be prescribed or as the official receiver may require.

(3)

The persons referred to in paragraph (1) are—

(a)

those who are or have been officers of the company;

(b)

those who have taken part in the formation of the company at any time within one year before the relevant date;

(c)

those who are in the company's employment, or have been in its employment within that year, and are in the official receiver's opinion capable of giving the information required;

(d)

those who are or have been within that year officers of, or in the employment of, a company which is, or within that year was, an officer of the company.

(4)

Where any persons are required under this Article to submit a statement of affairs to the official receiver, they shall do so (subject to paragraph (5)) before the expiration of 21 days from the day on which the prescribed notice of the requirement is given to them by the official receiver.

(5)

The official receiver, if he thinks fit, may—

(a)

at any time release a person from an obligation imposed on him under paragraph (1) or (2); or

(b)

either when giving the notice mentioned in paragraph (4) or subsequently, extend the period so mentioned;

and where the official receiver has refused to exercise a power conferred by this paragraph, the High Court, if it thinks fit, may exercise it.

(6)

In this Article—

“employment” includes employment under a contract for services; and

“the relevant date” means—

(a)

in a case where a provisional liquidator is appointed, the date of his appointment; and

(b)

in a case where no such appointment is made, the date of the winding‐up order.

(7)

If a person without reasonable excuse contravenes any obligation imposed under this Article, he shall be guilty of an offence and, for continued contravention, he shall be guilty of a continuing offence.