ALLWINES: CREDITORS THREATEN ACTION

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Jim Budd

Infuriated that no action has been taken by liquidators Deloitte or the DTI over Allwines' 3 million deficit, a group of creditors is now intending to take legal action against David Allan, who ran Allwines, and the company's auditors. The group is led by Dr Kenneth Jewers, a former friend of Allan. David Allan sold me seven cases of Mouton-Rothschild 1982 and 1986, Jewers told Harpers. They were supposed to be stored at London City Bond. LCB has told me that it never stored these wines. Allan even continued to invoice me for storage and insurance.' Jewers has sent a circular letter to all creditors. I have now been contacted by some 25 creditors from all over the world with quite a number willing to put money in for legal action. All are very unhappy and believe that some action should be taken.' One of their targets is likely to be the company's auditors, Kidsons Impey in Horsham, who signed off the Allwines' accounts for 1997-1999 as a going concern', although it had been unable to carry out a stocktake for these years. Jewers is also highly critical of Deloitte for having failed to contact all the creditors before deciding that it was not viable to pursue the Allwines' directors. Deloitte are understood to have sent a report to the DTI highlighting the extent of the missing assets. However, no investigation appears to have been carried out by the DTI. Allwines went bust in April 2001. Allan is now believed to be living in Dorset, apparently having sold homes in west London and Hove. Jewers can be contacted on 020 8460 8769 or en@ijkmarketing.co.uk

Printer friendly version