{"id":8960,"date":"2022-04-25T16:47:44","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T15:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insolvencyandlaw.co.uk\/?p=8960"},"modified":"2023-09-26T11:31:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T10:31:39","slug":"director-disqualification-for-dodgy-wine-dealer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/illitigation.co.uk\/?p=8960","title":{"rendered":"Director disqualification for dodgy wine dealer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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10-year company director disqualification for wine expert William Mason<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Earlier this month, former wine investor William Geoffrey Mason received a 10-year company director disqualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Insolvency Service<\/a><\/em><\/strong> investigation found that Mason, 54, “abused”<\/em> hundreds of thousands of pounds investors paid his company. Between 2001 and 2019, Mason’s business, William Mason Fine Wines (WMFW), received more than \u00a3445,000 in payments from investors.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, investigators concluded that in most cases, the wine company broke contracts and agreements by either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Failing to purchase wine<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Buying and disposing of alcohol without notifying investors  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Administrators liquidating WMFW, which was eventually wound up in November 2020, noted that Mason’s company had no wine in stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Company director disqualification<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Astonishingly, some of WMFW’s unluckiest investors were formerly good friends with Mason. No doubt, that familiarity led them to trust him with their money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    David Argyle, the Insolvency Service’s deputy head of insolvent investigations said: \u201c10 years is a significant disqualification and sends a stark warning to directors who think they can abuse their investors that we will pursue the strictest restrictions and remove them from the corporate arena<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Without specific permission from a court, disqualified company directors cannot<\/a><\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n