Investment Services Act (Cap. 370)
Investment Services Act (Cap. 370), article 15A
15A. (1) Without prejudice to the powers conferred to the
competent authority under this Act, the competent authority may ,
where it is satisfied that sufficient circumstances exist, proc eed to
take any one or more of t he following measures:
(a) appoint a person to advise the licence holder in the
proper conduct of its business;
(b) appoint a person to take charge of the assets of the
licence holder, or any portion of them, for the purposes
of safeguarding the interests of investors, consumers,
creditors or, if any, share holders, of the licence holder;
(c) appoint a person to assume control of the business of
the licence holder, either to carry on that business or to
46 CAP. 370.] INVESTMENT SERVICES
carry out such other function or functions in respect of
such business, or part thereof, including to take the
necessary action for the licen ce holder to be dissolved and
wound up, as the competent authority may direct;
(d) fix the remuneration to be paid by the licence holder to
any person appointed under article 15 or under this
article;
(e) do such other act as it may deem appropriate in the
circumstances to give better effect to the
implementation of the provisions of this article,
and having adopted any one or more of the measures aforesaid, t he
competent authority may further proceed in any one or more such
measures, whether in addition th ereto or in substitution theref or.
(2) Where a person is appointed by the competent authority -
(a) under sub-article (1)( a), it shall be the duty of the
licence holder to act in accordance with the advice
given by such person unless and until the competent
authority, on representation made to it, directs
otherwise;
(b) under sub-article (1)( b), the licence holder shall
deliver to such person all the assets, whether movable
or immovable, of which he is placed in charge, and all
the powers, functions and duties of the licence holder
in respect of those assets, including, if such licence
holder is a legal person, those exercisable by the legal
person in a general meeting, or by the directors, or by
any other person, including the legal and judicial
representation of such legal person, shall be
exercisable by and vest in the person appointed under
the said paragraph to the exclusion of any other
person;
(c) under sub-article (1)( c), the licence holder shall submit
its business to the control of such person and shall
provide such person with such facilities as may be
required to carry on that business or to carry out the
functions assigned to such person under the said
paragraph; and all the powers, functions and duties of
the licence holder, including, if such licence holder is
a legal person, those exercisable by the legal person in
a general meeting, or by the directors, or by any other
person, including for the purpose of the dissolution and
winding up of the licence holder as well as the legal and
judicial representation of such legal person in all matters,
shall be exercisable by and vest in such person to the
exclusion of any other person:
Provided that the competent person shall not take any
decision for the purpose of the dissolution and winding up
of the licence holder unless the competent authority issues
a directive to that effect in terms of article 15, and any such
directive may contain such ins tructions, requirements and
conditions as the competent authority may consider
INVESTMENT SERVICES [CAP. 370. 47
necessary, including with regard to the mode of winding
up.
Cap. 386.
(2A) Without prejudice to the powers of the competent authority
in terms of sub-article (1), the competent authority may also m ake
an application to the court for the dissolution and winding up by the
court of a licence holder where it appears to the competent
authority that a licence holder should be dissolved and wound u p
by the court for the reason set out in article 214(2)(b)(iii) o f the
Companies Act, and where the cou rt accedes to the application t he
relevant provisions of the Companies Act in relation to the
dissolution and winding up by the court and any other applicabl e
provisions of any other law shall apply.
(3) The competent authority may, where it feels it is in the bes t
interest of the public so to do, make or issue public statement s or
notices giving warnings or information about any measure taken in
terms of this article.
(4) The competent authority may require the licence holder
concerned to pay all the expenses of, and incidental to, the pu blication
or issue of public statements or notices pursuant to this artic le, or such
part thereof as it may deem appropriate; and any sum so due sha ll be
recoverable by the competent authority in the same manner as an
administrative penalty imposed under this Act.
(5) Any measure adopted in terms of sub-article (1) shall remai n in
force notwithstanding that a li cence holder ceases to hold a li cence for
whatever reason, unless the competent authority otherwise directs.
Right of entry.
Amended by:
LXXII.2021.17.
Text read from the consolidated PDF published by Legislation Malta. Tables, figures and marginal notes may be incomplete or out of place: the official PDF is authoritative. General information, not legal, tax or accounting advice.