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Allegations In Press Releases From SPCS + Apology

Published: Tue 21 Jul 2009 05:39 PM
[ SCOOP EDITOR'S NOTE: Scoop unreservedly apologises to those targeted by the SPCS in the press releases referred to in the below press release from Steve Crow. We apologise in particular for publishing something which was clearly inaccurate without first vetting it for accuracy. The original press releases have now been removed in their entirety and Scoop is very closely vetting all material submitted by the SPCS for accuracy and potential defamatory content.]
Press Release from Steve Crow
21 July 2009
Alleged Companies Act Offences and Press Releases by the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards (SPCS).
The SPCS has recently made 42 complaints to the New Zealand Companies Office regarding alleged breaches of the Companies Act 1993 by company director Steve Crow. In these press releases, which have been published on a number of national and international websites, the SPCS makes a number of defamatory and incorrect statements.
We are currently taking legal advice on what we believe to be numerous incorrect and/or defamatory statements made by the SPCS; for which reason we are unable to comment on certain more serious matters but some general comments are:
1. Of the 42 complaints made to the Companies Office, 39 allege that Steve Crow incorrectly used the words “Eden Digital Limited” under his name in various document filings with the Companies Office.
The following extract from www.companies.govt.nz serves to illustrate:
2. Relying on the thoroughness of SPCS’ ‘investigations we have not taken the time to check all of these so-called offences but the SPCS does appear to be correct in its assertion that Steve Crow did, on a number of occasions, include the words Eden Digital Limited under his name in submissions. However, the use of the name Eden Digital Limited is clearly part of the submitter’s address and in all cases was immaterial to the documents being filed. It is relevant to note that the Companies Office website retains the details of persons filing records when they hold an account on the website and the website proposes that information the next time the site is used by that person.
3. Steve Crow has previously sought and received name approval for a company called Eden Digital Limited and had intended to use that company for trading operations but subsequently decided not to. The inclusion of that name as part of the submitter’s address was an unfortunate error in the first place, propagated by the website’s retention of identity function. In all cases listed the inclusion of the name Eden Digital Limited as part of the address was irrelevant to the documents being filed.
4. The SPCS makes two allegations that Steve Crow used a false address on companies office documents – this in incorrect, 57A Walmsley Road Otahuhu was his home address at all material times and we will vigorously defend any allegations to the contrary.
5. The SPCS makes a final allegation that on three occasions on 5 December 2005 Steve Crow included the name Vixen Direct Limited as part of his address when filing documents on the Companies Office but that no such company existed on that date.
This is a lie.
Company Number 1738131 Vixen Direct Limited was registered on 5 December 2005 according to the Companies Office website.
The SPCS releases are too detailed, redundant and long-winded to address in detail; but an examination of a few paragraphs suggests that the old adage “those who live in glass houses should not throw stones,” applies to the SPCS in that the errors made in their releases are numerous and, in many cases, materially misleading: A few examples should suffice:
1. According to the Companies Office records company number 2122974 (currently Eden Digital Limited) was registered on 23rd April 2008, not 26 March 2009 as alleged by the SPCS.
2. SPCS’ statement that Eden Digital Limited (”EDL”) ‘has no formal connection to either of the liquidated companies.’ is a lie. All three shared a common ownership and similar directorship structure.
3. SPCS states that liquidators were appointed to Z4K74D Limited and Malibu Media Limited on 27 March 2009; the correct date was actually 27 May 2009 – this materially affects other incorrect statements and allegations made by the SPCS.
The SPCS is engaged in a systematic, sustained ongoing slur campaign against Steve Crow and his business interests with little or no regard to consequences. Their recent press releases have focused on some readily admitted and regrettably less-than-perfect Companies Office housekeeping by Steve Crow. They have used these accusations to imply serious criminal breaches which are patently incorrect.
Steve Crow is currently taking legal advice with the intention of filing actions against the SPCS for defamation; as is at least one other party mentioned in the SPCS press releases.
When referring to the SPCS, the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia states that “The Society appears to be in decline, with a shrinking membership and financial difficulties apparent from its 2005 statement of financial performance. The Society is funded by a diminishing level of member donations and has incurred relatively high legal bills in its unsuccessful challenges to censorship decisions.”
Legal action from the ‘defendants’ listed in the SPCS press releases may just be the final nail in the financial coffin of this squeaky wheel of dissent in the New Zealand entertainment scene.
Ends
[ SCOOP EDITOR'S NOTE: Scoop unreservedly apologises to those targeted by the SPCS in the press releases referred to in the above press release from Steve Crow. We apologise in particular for publishing something which was clearly inaccurate without first vetting it for accuracy. The original press releases have now been removed in their entirety and Scoop is very closely vetting all material submitted by the SPCS for accuracy and potential defamatory content.]

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