Five companies are wound up in the public interest after
managers use complex group structure to avoid paying debts.
Southern Enterprise Limited
Allenwest Systems Ltd
The Abbacus Partnership Ltd
Southern Enterprise Management Ltd (SEM)
Blue Dolphin Marine and Aviation Ltd (BDMA)
Five companies based in West Sussex have been wound up in the
High Court following an investigation by the Government’s
Companies Investigation Branch (CIB).
The investigation by the CIB, part of the Insolvency Service,
found that the companies, which are all controlled by the same
three current or former directors, owed substantial sums to
creditors, including HMRC, and appeared to have been trading while insolvent.
The main former director, Leslie Kerrison has a history of
involvement with a number of other companies which have previously
gone into administration or liquidation. In April 2008 he was
disqualified from acting as a company director for two-and-a-half
years, after an earlier company he was involved with also failed.
While Allenwest Systems traded in electrical switch systems until
late 2006 and BDMA traded only briefly in the provision of
executive jet and yacht charter services, Southern Enterprise,
Abbacus and SEM appeared to have little business function other
than to channel income from the trading companies towards paying
salaries and other benefits to the three members of the management team.
Between September 2006 to May 2007 the annualised salary costs of
the management team worked out at more than £370,000 but debts
were allowed to accumulate within the companies including in
excess of £250,000 owed to HMRC.
Head of Investigations and Enforcement at the Insolvency Service,
Robert Burns, said:
“Our investigation found that there was a complete lack of
commercial probity in the management of these companies. We found
no evidence that any of the companies sought to pay over their
income tax or all of their VAT liabilities and there were also
significant and repeated failures to prepare and file statutory
accounts and returns at Companies House.
“All company directors and managers have to follow the rules,
and where we find evidence that there has been wrongdoing we will
apply to the courts to have such companies wound up.”
The High Court found that it was expedient in the public interest
that all five companies be wound up to enable the Official
Receiver to investigate the position of all the companies in more detail.
Notes to Editors
1. The registered office of Allenwest Systems Limited and
Southern Enterprise Ltd is at 1 st Floor, Delmon House, 36-38
Church Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9AE. The registered
Office of BDMA and Abbacus are both at The Meridian, 4 Copthall
House, Station Square, Coventry CV1 2FL. The registered office of
SEM is at 20 The Waterfront, Brighton Marina, Brighton, East
Sussex BN2 5WA.
2. The petitions to wind up the companies in the public interest
were presented under s.124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 10 th
June 2009. The companies were all wound up on 16 th September
2009.
3. The Insolvency Service carries out confidential enquiries on
behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and
Skills through Companies Investigation Branch.
4. The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime
investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual
insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to
establish why they became insolvent. The Service also authorises
and regulates the insolvency profession; deals with
disqualification of directors in corporate failures; assesses and
pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer
cannot or will not pay employees; provides banking and investment
services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds; and advises
ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.
5. All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the companies
should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 4
th Floor, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3SS. Tel No: 020
7637 1110. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk
Further information about the work of The Insolvency Service is
available from www.insolvency.gov.uk
6. Media Enquiries should be directed to: Ade Daramy, Press
Officer, telephone 020 7596 6187 or Lisa Miller, Press Office
Manager, Insolvency Service, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B
3QW, telephone: 020 7674 6910.
Ins/Coms/CIB/42
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above
department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Contacts:
Ade Daramy
Phone: 020 7596 6187
ade.daramy@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk