Press release: Spotlight shone on disqualified shadow director flouting ban

Absolute Resource Management Limited was incorporated on 30 November 2007 and began trading in 2009 under the sole directorship of Carol Perry. The Bedford-based company provided IT consultancy services to businesses.

By August 2016, however, Absolute Resource Management was unable to pay its debts and appointed a liquidator to commence voluntary liquidation proceedings.

The liquidator’s report triggered an Insolvency Service investigation, which uncovered that Carol Perry’s younger brother, Keith Angus Perry (49), had been acting as a shadow director of Absolute Resource Management since 2010 – despite being disqualified from doing so.

Keith Perry’s original ban came into force in August 2010 for seven years following his conduct while director of Absolute Service Management (Beds) Limited. He caused that company not to maintain adequate accounting records or pay appropriate taxes.

Under his disqualification restrictions, Keith Perry should have applied to the courts for leave to act as a director of Absolute Resource Management Limited, but failed to do so.

Investigators also uncovered that Keith Perry repeated his earlier misconduct, causing Absolute Resource Management Limited not to pay its taxes in full between March 2013 and August 2016. The company eventually stopped trading owing the tax authority more than £220,000.

On 15 May 2019, the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Keith Angus Perry for 11 years, commencing on 5 June 2019.

His older sister, Carol Perry (51), previously signed a disqualification undertaking in July 2018 for four years after failing to ensure the company fulfilled its tax obligations.

The Perry siblings are disqualified from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

Lawrence Zussman, Deputy Head of Insolvent Investigations for the Insolvency Service, said:

The liquidation of Absolute Resource Management shone a light on what had been going on in the shadows, revealing that Keith Perry had been flouting his ban.

This 11-year disqualification serves as a warning to other directors who think they can hoodwink the system that we will pursue enforcement action to stop unscrupulous behaviour.

Keith Angus Perry (49) is of Luton and his date of birth is January 1970.

Carol Georgina Perry (51) is of Luton and her date of birth is December 1967.

Absolute Resource Management Limited (Company number 06441727).

Absolute Service Management (Beds) Limited, formerly named Absolute Service Management Limited, was wound up on 27 April 2009 and placed in Compulsory Liquidation. (Company number 05043521).

A disqualification order has the effect that, without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

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