The 14th and 15th February will see the launch of Horticulture Connect, a ‘first of its kind’ conference promoting horticultural market links between the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Rwanda, held at Kigali Convention Center. This conference provides a strong opportunity to introduce British and Dutch investors and buyers of horticultural produce to Rwandan producers and exporters, and the event will be a starting point in creating firm trade and investment opportunities.

The British High Commission, working with Lord Dolar Amarshi Popat, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda, have been at the forefront of establishing an air link between the United Kingdom and Rwanda. In addition, Lord Popat has visited the country to advocate on behalf of British business interest as well as to encourage increased trade and investment between the two countries. On his most recent visit, he discussed with the Rwanda Development Board the possibility of hosting a horticulture market conference that would enable increased Rwandan exports of flowers as well as fruits and vegetables to the UK using the newly established air link.

A trusted airlink between Kigali and Amsterdam was already established in 2010 with 5 flights per week, and since April 2013, KLM serves Kigali by a daily flight, connecting Rwandan products to the European market. The Netherlands actively supports the horticulture sector in Rwanda, and through its global auctioning system in flowers provides an enabling infrastructure for potential future exports to the UK and other European destinations. The recently developed HortInvest Program, which is financed by the Netherlands, aims to develop the horticulture value chains in Rwanda. For this event, 2 Dutch importers of horticultural produce (Van Oers United and Del Monte Foods) will visit Rwanda and meet with their potential business partners.

Establishing these types of connections is critical to growing Rwanda’s exports and opening up opportunities for investors. A recent visit by the private sector players with NAEB and RwandAir to the UK New Covent Garden Market has indicated the need to further explore opportunities for developing more robust trade relations in exports of fresh produce. Rwandan horticultural exporters currently face significant market access constraints mainly due to the lack of effective connections to European markets. On this last point, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands embassy in Rwanda see strong prospects for the horticulture sector’s role in driving economic development. Sarah Metcalf, Head of DFID Rwanda said: “Horticulture Connect presents an exciting opportunity to engage with local and international businesses on the themes of inclusive economic growth and rural livelihoods. We also look forward to showcasing DFID programmes and partners contributing to Rwanda’s growing horticulture sector, such as TMEA (Trade Mark East Africa), AFR (Access to Finance Rwanda), and FONERWA (Rwanda’s national Climate Change fund)”.

Hon. Gerardine Mukeshimana, the Minister of Agricultural and Animal Resources said, “The conference seeks to move beyond the conversations held before and create a business platform that provides delegates with tangible opportunities to establish relationships and engage with our local producers. It is one of the key factors in the growth of investment in agri-export sector.”

Rwanda is known for offering investment opportunities and is among the region’s fastest growing economies. Rwanda has been frequently on top rankings for the best place to do business and to invest in Africa, with an average GDP growth of 8% for the last decade.

End.

Notes to Editors:  DFID Rwanda has a range of programmes supporting the agricultural sector, including a major £43m Programme of Support to Agriculture (POSA), a £23.5m Improving Market Systems for Agriculture in Rwanda (IMSAR) programme, and others important to the sector such as TMEA (Trade Mark East Africa), AFR (Access to Finance Rwanda) and FONERWA (Rwanda’s national Climate Change fund)).  Further information about DFID’s activity in Rwanda is available at http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/countries/RW/ and https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/dfid-rwanda.  The Kingdom of the Netherlands also has a range of programmes supporting the agricultural sector in Rwanda, including a $22M donation to the Multi Donor Trust Fund for Feeder Roads, an Integrated Water Resources Program of $44M that will run until 2020, a Landscape Restoration Program of $19 M that will start this year and will run for 4 years and a Horticulture Value Chain Development Program (HortInvest) of $20M that started recently and will run for 4 years.  The export of horticulture products from Rwanda to the Netherlands in 2016 was worth $625.000 (mainly cut flowers, vegetables and plant extracts), while the import was worth $390.000 (mainly seeds).

Stephen Anthony Wooley and Kevin John Dursley gave disqualification undertakings to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Stephen Anthony Woolley, from Stoke on Trent, who was the director of Security and Wealth Credit Management Limited which traded as Brightsource Financial Solutions, has been banned from acting as a director for eight years from 11 January 2018.

Kevin John Dursley, from Gloucestershire, who was the director of Corders Administration Limited which handled the day to day administration of the debt management plans, has been banned for three years and six months from 21 November 2017.

Security and Wealth Credit Management Limited went into administration on 16 September 2015 with debts of £2,058,219.

The Insolvency Service’s investigation showed that Mr Woolley breached the fiduciary duties he owed to the company by failing to take adequate steps to ensure that debt management plans were properly administered by Corders Administration Limited on behalf of the company, resulting in estimated losses of between £413,657 and £2,042,007 to members of the public already in financial distress.

Corders Administration Limited went into administration on 16 September 2015. The Insolvency Service’s investigation showed that Mr Dursley failed to ensure that Corders Administration Limited adequately managed, supervised and administered debt management plans on behalf of Security and Wealth Credit Management Limited.

Its failures contributed to losses of at least £443,302 to members of the public already in financial distress.

Commenting on the disqualifications, Aldona O’Hara, Head of Insolvent Investigations, Midlands and West, said:

This is a serious case where the failures of the directors of both companies have caused distress to members of the public who were already in financial difficulty.

The Insolvency Service will look closely at any evidence of misconduct and take appropriate action where others have suffered as a result of directors’ actions, as has happened in this case

Notes to editors

Stephen Anthony Woolley is of Stoke on Trent and his date of birth is January 1959.

Security and Wealth Credit Management Limited (CRO: 08195266) was incorporated on 29 August 2012 and traded from premises in Cheltenham under the style Brightsource Financial Solutions.

Security and Wealth Credit Management Limited went into Administration on 16 September 2015.

On 20 December 2017 Mr Woolley gave a disqualification undertaking which was accepted by the Secretary of State on 21 December 2017. The undertaking comes into effect on 11 January 2018 for a period of 8 years.

Kevin John Dursley is of Gloucestershire and his date of birth is October 1970.

Corders Administration Limited (CRO: 07715423) was incorporated on 22 July 2011 and went into Administration on 16 September 2015.

On 30 October 2017 Mr Dursley gave a disqualification undertaking which was accepted by the Secretary of State on 31 October 2017. The undertaking came into effect on 21 November 2017 for a period of 3.5 years.

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.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, 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.

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

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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Ryan Maginess (28) was the sole director of Camereye Contracts Limited, which had a registered office at Lochside Place, Edinburgh.

The disqualification followed an investigation by the Insolvency Service, and was ordered at Edinburgh Sheriff’s Court. The disqualification began on 11 January 2018.

The investigation found that the company had entered into an invoice finance facility with a bank and in contravention of the terms, Ryan Maginess submitted invoices for which the company had already been paid. In good faith, the bank made funds available to the company against the invoices submitted under the agreement.

Ryan Maginess withdrew funds totalling £105,500 from the facility and used the funds for his own benefit, including the purchase residential properties in his own name, leaving the bank with an irrecoverable loss.

From 2010, the company provided security personnel and CCTV facilities primarily to the construction industry. The company ceased trading on 15 October 2015 when it was placed into administration with an eventual deficiency to creditors of £109,767.

Commenting on the disqualification, Robert Clarke, Investigations Group Leader at the Insolvency Service, said:

Directors who put their own personal financial interests above those of customers and creditors, especially in such a blatant manner as this was done, damage the confidence of those who want to do business in the UK and cause significant damage to the health of the local economy.

This ten year ban given at Edinburgh Sheriff Court sends a clear message and should serve as a warning to other directors tempted to follow a similar course of action and help themselves first; you have a duty to your creditors and if you neglect this duty you could be investigated by the Insolvency Service and lose the privilege of limited liability trading.

Notes to editors

Ryan Maginess’s date of birth is November 1989, and his last known address was in Glasgow.

Ryan Maginess was appointed as a director of Camereye Contracts Limited (company number SC385894) from incorporation on 24 September 2010 and remained a director throughout the company’s trading.

On 21 December 2017, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, a disqualification order was granted.

The order was pronounced by Sheriff Holligan at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 21 December 2017. The Secretary of State was represented by Fiona Tosh of Burness Paul LLP, the defendant did not attend and was not represented.

Camereye Contracts Limited was incorporated on 24 September 2010. The company was placed into administration on 15 October 2015.

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

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

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, 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.

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

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

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• YouTube

This follows an investigation by the Insolvency Service, which found representations were made to family and friends to get money, which was used for online spread betting and to fund his lifestyle.

Mr Patel entered into a 11 year bankruptcy restrictions’ undertaking on 18 December 2017, by the restrictions set out in insolvency law that a bankrupt is subject to until they are discharged from bankruptcy (normally 12 months) until 2028.

Between 2013 and 2017, Mr Patel made false representations to family and friends to obtain loan funds of £390,000, saying that the funds were to be used as a venture investment. He used £238,451 of these funds to finance online spread betting, with the majority of the remaining funds being used to fund Mr Patel’s lifestyle. Mr Patel’s actions directly resulted in him becoming insolvent with total liabilities of £403,753.

Mr Patel was declared bankrupt on 26 July 2017 with a deficiency of £386,238. Mr Patel was interviewed at the Official Receiver’s office at which time he stated that around December 2012 he began online spread betting and initially used his savings to fund this. However once his money ran out he obtained funds from family and friends and used the money he received to continue gambling.

The loans were covered by formal agreements which stated that Mr Patel would hold the investment funds for the duration of 12 months during which time the investor would not be able to withdraw the capital invested.

Mr Patel advised family and friends that the funds were to be used as a venture investment but he was in fact using the funds to finance his online spread betting and, from June 2015 onwards, to fund his living expenses with a very small amount being used to repay a couple of the lenders.

In January 2017 when all the money had been exhausted he ceased gambling and sought advice regarding his financial situation following which in July 2017 he made his own application for bankruptcy.

Commenting on the bankruptcy restriction, Gerard O’Hare, an Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service said:

Where a bankrupt has taken undue risks with creditors’ money, he should not expect to do so without repercussions, particularly when others suffer financial loss as a result.

A bankruptcy restriction in these circumstances will serve to provide creditors with a degree of protection, and it will also act as a deterrent to the bankrupt not to act in a similar manner in the future.

Notes to editors

Mr Shared Dayaram Patel is of Leicester and his date of birth is January 1966. The Bankruptcy Order was made on his own petition

If the Official Receiver considers that the conduct of a bankrupt has been dishonest or blameworthy in some other way, he (or she) will report the facts to court and ask for a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order (BRO) to be made. The court will consider this report and any other evidence put before it, and will decide whether it should make a BRO. If it does, the bankrupt will be subject to certain restrictions for the period stated in the order. This can be from 2 to 15 years.

The bankrupt may instead agree to a Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU) which has the same effect as an order, but will mean that the matter does not go to court.

These are restrictions set out in insolvency law that the bankrupt is subject to until they are discharged from bankruptcy – normally 12 months and include that bankrupts:

• must disclose their status to a credit provider if they wish to get credit of more than £500;

• who carry on business in a different name from the name in which they were made bankrupt, they must disclose to those they wish to do business with the name (or trading style) under which they were made bankrupt;

• may not act as the director of a company nor take part in its promotion, formation or management unless they have a court’s permission to do so;

• may not act as an insolvency practitioner, or as the receiver or manager of the property of a company on behalf of debenture holders;

Additionally, a person subject to a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order/Undertaking or a Debt Relief Restrictions Order/Undertaking,

• may not be a Member of Parliament in England or Wales.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, 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.

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

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

• Twitter

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Applications to the Fast Track Apprenticeship scheme will be opening soon. You can pre-register for the programme by sending your email address to: fasttrack.preregister@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. This lets us know you intend to apply and enables us to notify you when the application window opens.