Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010

Revocation of authorisation other than on application of holder.

97.— (1) The Minister may revoke an authorisation only if the Minister has reasonable grounds to be satisfied of any of the following:

(a) the holder of the authorisation has not commenced to carry on business as a trust or company service provider within 12 months after the date on which the authorisation was granted;

(b) the holder of the authorisation has not carried on such a business within the immediately preceding 6 months;

(c) the authorisation was obtained by means of a false or misleading representation;

(d) any of the following persons is not a fit and proper person:

(i) the holder of the authorisation;

(ii) in a case where the holder of the authorisation is a body corporate, a partnership or an individual carrying on business as a trust or company service provider as a partner in a partnership, any principal officer of the body corporate or partnership (as the case may be);

(iii) any person who is a beneficial owner of the business concerned;

(e) the holder of the authorisation has contravened or is contravening the obligations imposed on trust or company service providers, as designated persons, under this Part;

(f) the holder of the authorisation has contravened or is contravening any of the following:

(i) a condition of the authorisation;

(ii) a prescribed requirement referred to in section 94 ;

(iii) section 95 ;

(iv) section 98 ;

(v) section 106 ;

(g) the holder of the authorisation is so structured, or the business of the holder is so organised, that the holder is not capable of being regulated under this Chapter or as a designated person under this Part;

(h) in a case where the holder of the authorisation is a body corporate, the body corporate is being wound up;

(i) in a case where the holder of the authorisation is a partnership, the partnership is dissolved by the death or bankruptcy of a partner or because of the operation of a provision of the Partnership Act 1890 or otherwise;

(j) in a case where any person referred to in paragraph (d) has been authorised to carry on business as a trust or company service provider in another Member State, an authority of the other Member State that performs functions similar to those of the Minister under this Chapter has terminated the authority of the person to carry on business as a trust or company service provider in the other Member State;

(k) in a case where the holder of the authorisation is a subsidiary of a body corporate that is authorised to carry on business as a trust or company service provider in another Member State, an authority of the other Member State that performs functions similar to those of the Minister under this Chapter has terminated the authority of the body corporate to carry on business as a trust or company service provider in the other Member State.

(2) If the Minister proposes to revoke an authorisation under this section, the Minister shall serve on the holder of the authorisation a notice in writing informing the holder of the Minister’s intention to revoke the authorisation.

(3) The notice shall—

(a) specify the grounds on which the Minister proposes to revoke the authorisation, and

(b) inform the holder that the holder may, within 21 days after service of the notice, make written representations to the Minister showing why the Minister should not revoke the authorisation.

(4) Not later than 21 days after a notice is served under subsection (2) on the holder of an authorisation, the holder may make written representations to the Minister showing why the Minister should not revoke the authorisation.

(5) The Minister may revoke the authorisation only after having considered any representations made by the holder of the authorisation in accordance with subsection (4).

(6) As soon as practicable after revoking an authorisation under this section, the Minister shall serve written notice of the revocation on the person who was the holder of the authorisation. The notice shall include a statement—

(a) setting out the reasons for revoking the authorisation, and

(b) informing the holder that—

(i) the holder may appeal to an Appeal Tribunal against the revocation, and

(ii) if the holder proposes to appeal to an Appeal Tribunal against the revocation, the holder may, within one month after being served with the notice of revocation, serve a notice of intention to appeal on the Minister in the form provided or specified by the Minister.

(7) The revocation of an authorisation under this section takes effect from the date of the notice of revocation or, if a later date is specified in the notice, from that date, whether or not an appeal against the revocation is made under section 100 .