Director faces DTI probe

A company director disqualified for unfit conduct faces Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) action after he was employed by a reseller while banned from being a company director, PC Dealer has discovered.

William Wilson was disqualified in August 1995 for nine years. But a William Wilson with a different date of birth and address appeared as a director of SD Group and its reseller subsidiary, Systems Direct, between 1996 and 1997. A former colleague claimed they were the same person.

According to documents at Companies House, Wilson was discredited for trading while some of his companies were insolvent. He was also director of the failed Communications Group, wound up in July 1993, and HP Facilities, struck off in July 1996.

Last week, PC Dealer received clarification from the DTI Insolvency Service that the case was 'under initial investigation'.

Technology plc, now ICL Multivendor Computing, fell victim to Wilson.

The distributor said it was more than #17,000 out of pocket when Systems Direct went under.

Pete Dean, Horizon MD, said this type of behaviour created credit problems for resellers. 'The channel is built on suspicious trust. Directors not being honest undermines trust and fuels suspicion.'

In all four companies, Wilson worked with fellow director Robin Phillips.

Roger Fieldhouse was company secretary for the firms, as well as a director of Communications Group and HP Facilities.

Fieldhouse said it was the same Wilson, but denied any knowledge of the disqualification when Wilson became director of SD Group and Systems Direct.

He stressed that Phillips asked Wilson to step down when he learned the truth.

Fieldhouse claimed: 'I would not knowingly work for a company or director I did not think was reputable.' Both Wilson and Phillips refused to comment.

See feature, page 26.