In their latest progress report to creditors sent at the end of last month, joint administrators Philip Duffy and Benjamin Wiles of Duff & Phelps said that the administration had been extended by order of the court to 31 August 2021.
An administration usually comes to an end after one year. The Call Print Group and Call Print Services process was originally extended on 1 August 2019.
A year ago Printweek revealed that the administrators had found “material misstatements” in the group’s previously filed accounts and had deployed forensic accountants as part of an investigation into transactions that took place prior to its administration.
A number of creditors were known to have flagged concerns about the sale of Callprint’s Dubai-based business, Call Print Express, to the group’s then-managing director Steve Cheek less than a month before the business filed an NOI (notice of intention to appoint administrators).
In the latest report, the Duffy and Wiles stated: “Previously, several letters before action were issued with a view to recovering funds for the companies, based upon evidence uncovered in the joint administrators’ investigations. The joint administrators cannot, at this stage, detail the nature of the claims made, as doing so could hamper any further actions which may be required.”
They explained that the respondents to the letters required access to the books and records held by Duff & Phelps “in order to enable them to prepare any substantive responses”.
The administrators said they were working with law firm Weightmans “to facilitate this as a matter of priority, as it is the main issue requiring the administrations to continue”.
Printweek could not reach Steve Cheek for comment at the time of writing. According to an industry source, he is believed to be working in the USA at present.
B2B business contacts site ZoomInfo lists a Steve Cheek as chief commerce officer at digital printing and documentation services specialist Dataflow Inc in Binghampton, New York.
Cheek’s wife Emma is also understood to be working there, in the accounts department.
The majority of Callprint’s trade and assets were acquired by Hobs Group in a pre-pack deal.
Callprint owed trade creditors more than £1.2m at the time of administration.
