Section 172 General false statement offencesI1I2

For section 32 of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 substitute—

“False statements: basic offence

32

(1)

It is an offence for a person, without reasonable excuse, to—

(a)

deliver or cause to be delivered to the registrar, for the purposes of this Part, a document that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular, or

(b)

make to the registrar, for the purposes of this Part, a statement that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.

(2)

Where the offence is committed by a legal entity, every officer of the entity who is in default also commits the offence.

(3)

A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)

on summary conviction in England and Wales, to a fine;

(b)

on summary conviction in Scotland, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale;

(c)

on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

False statements: aggravated offence

32A

(1)

It is an offence for a person knowingly to—

(a)

deliver or cause to be delivered to the registrar, for the purposes of this Part, a document that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular, or

(b)

make to the registrar, for the purposes of this Part, a statement that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.

(2)

Where the offence is committed by a legal entity, every officer of the entity who is in default also commits the offence.

(3)

A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)

on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both);

(b)

on summary conviction—

(i)

in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine (or both);

(ii)

in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both);

(iii)

in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both).”