Penalty
204.—(1)  If any director of a company fails to comply with section 201(1A), (3), (3A) or (15), he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000.
[5/2004]
(1A)  If any director of a company —
(a)fails to comply with any provision of this Division (other than section 201(1A), (3), (3A) and (15));
(b)fails to take all reasonable steps to secure compliance by the company with any such provision; or
(c)has by his own wilful act been the cause of any default by the company of any such provision,
he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.
[5/2004]
(2)  In any proceedings against a person for failure to take all reasonable steps to comply with, or to secure compliance with, the preceding provisions of this Division relating to the form and content of the accounts of a company or consolidated accounts of a holding company by reason of an omission from the accounts or consolidated accounts, it is a defence to prove that the omission was not intentional and that the information omitted was immaterial and did not affect the giving of a true and fair view of the matters required by section 201 to be dealt with in the accounts or consolidated accounts, as the case may be.
(3)  If an offence under this section is committed with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person or for a fraudulent purpose, the offender shall be liable on conviction —
(a)in the case of an offence under subsection (1), to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; or
(b)in the case of an offence under subsection (1A), to a fine not exceeding $15,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.
[5/2004]
(4)  A person shall not be sentenced to imprisonment for any offence under this section unless in the opinion of the Court dealing with the case the offence was committed wilfully.
[UK, 1948, s. 147 (4); Aust., 1961, s. 163]