On 26 April 2022, Chief Justice Smellie QC in Re Premier Assurance Group SPC Ltd. (in Official Liquidation) sanctioned a decision by the joint official liquidators ("JOLs") of Premier Assurance Group SPC Ltd (in Official Liquidation) (the "Company") to return (or procure the return of) certain payments held by or on behalf of the Company referable to one of its segregated portfolios, Premier Assurance Segregated Portfolio ("PASP"), to the respective payors on the basis that such sums were paid by mistake. The Court held that such payments received after the presentation of the winding up petition against the Company on 26 October 2020 (the "Winding Up Petition") are held by the Company (referable to PASP) as constructive trustee from the moment that such funds were received.
In summary, the JOLs sought Court sanction to return (or procure the return of) over 6,000 premium payments held by or on behalf of the Company referable to PASP, which had been received from participants who hold or have held insurance policies referable to PASP (the "Participants"). Such payments (which were referred to collectively as the "Mistaken Payments") were made after the deemed commencement date of the winding up of the Company on 26 October 2020 and generally represented direct debits which had not been cancelled by the Participants.
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