Allan Hubbard Responds to SCF Receivership

Allan Hubbard Responds to SCF Receivership

Following today’s announcement that South Canterbury Finance (SCF) is to be placed in receivership, majority shareholder in the company, Allan Hubbard, said he is firmly of the view that if he had not been removed from the board of the company, and subsequently placed in statutory management, he could have helped to save the business.

“It has been deeply frustrating and hurtful, over the last nine months, to have been sidelined by my fellow SCF directors, and subsequently straight-jacketed by the Government regulators, from working to save South Canterbury,” he said.

“Since the impact of the global credit crisis became obvious, I have done everything I can to save SCF, including investing hundreds of millions of my own investments into the company.

“I have always attempted to place investors’ returns first, and my personal financial interests as secondary, and as the severity of the global credit crunch became apparent, I moved quickly to inject my own assets into South Canterbury,” he said.

“For me it has always been a matter of trust and personal integrity to investors. In a crisis like that, you do what you have to do to save the business.”

He said that in this day and age that might sound old fashioned and that he has resolved to fight back to protect his and his wife’s reputation.

He went on to say that when they were personally placed in statutory management on June 20 this year, that was a serious blow to them, South Canterbury Finance and “unbelievably short sighted” on the part of the Government which acted on the advice of the Registrar of Companies.

“Surely they realised that by freezing me out and taking over control of my affairs that they would be dealing a body blow to South Canterbury Finance?” Big day for the regulators and a sad day for investors

“It was a big day for the regulators and a sad day for investors,” he said.

“Instead they bring down the boom, take me out, freeze my access to my personal funds and now so many families, small businesses, farms and enterprises, throughout the South Island in particular, are going to be seriously suffering,” he said.

“It was an unnecessary, knee jerk bureaucratic response and it required a strategic solution not a sledge hammer.”

Mr Hubbard said that his action was deeply hurtful and it was painful to be forced to watch events, announced today, unfold from the sideline.

“I have spent my life supporting businesses, investors and charities and my track record speaks for itself,” he said. “I have been prudent and diligent, to the very best of my ability, and have always been deeply respectful of the trust placed in me.”

Mr Hubbard said that while he acknowledges that some may consider his management systems old fashioned he has never defrauded a single investor of a single cent.

He said that when he was ambushed last week by the statutory managers, with their second investors’ report, and with no advance warning or the courtesy of a copy of their report, he resolved to have more to say.

He said today’s announcement on South Canterbury’s fate had hardened his resolve.

“I will be providing my own analysis, with the assistance of my team of professional legal and financial advisors, to put my side of the story and I will be taking this matter further,” he said.

“I cannot allow my reputation to be savagely attacked by this shameful process and all of those who trusted Jean and me, over so many years, to allow this tragic set of events to go unanswered,” he said. “Those who care about us know I am unwell and that hardens my resolve.”

Mr Hubbard said he would not be commenting further until he and his advisors had prepared their case against the statutory manager’s report and their response to today’s announcement regarding SCF.

ENDS

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