| (1) |
An insolvent shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment not exceeding one year, if, prior to the sequestration of his estate, he made a disposition of any part of his property with the intention of preferring one or more of his creditors above the others or any other if at the time when he made that disposition his liabilities exceeded the value of his assets: Provided that any such disposition which had the effect of preferring, or was calculated to prefer, one or more creditors above the others or any other shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been made with the intention of preferring such creditor or creditors above the others or any other. Provided, further, that if the insolvent's estate was sequestrated within a period of six months as from the date of making such a disposition, his liabilities shall be deemed to have exceeded the value of his assets at that date, unless the contrary is proved. |
| (2) |
In subsection (1) the expression "creditor" includes a surety for the insolvent as well as a person who in law is in a position analagous to that of a surety. |
| (3) |
An insolvent shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years if, prior to the sequestration of his estate |
| (a) |
he contracted any debt of fifteen pounds or more or debts to the aggregate of fifty pounds or more, without any reasonable expectation of being able to discharge such debt or debts; or |
| (b) |
at a time when his liabilities exceeded his assets or during the period of six months immediately preceding the sequestration of his estate, he diminished his assets by gambling, betting, hazardous speculations or expenditure, not reasonably necessary in connection with his business or vocation or for the maintenance of himself and his dependants, or being a trader, alienated any business belonging to him, or the goodwill of such business or any goods or property forming part thereof not in the ordinary course of that business, without publishing a notification of his intention so to alienate in the Gazette and in a newspaper, in terms of the provisions of subsection (1) of section thirty-four: |
Provided that in any proceedings for a contravention of paragraph (a) the insolvent shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to have contracted the debt or debts without having had a reasonable expectation of discharging it or them, if the debt was or the debts were contracted—
| (i) |
at a time when his liabilities exceeded his assets; or |
| (ii) |
within the period of six months immediately preceding the sequestration of his estate. |
Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 1996
