This section applies where an auditor ("A") of a company sends a statement to the company under section 519 except where—
Where this section applies, unless within 21 days beginning with the day on which he sent the statement under section 519 the auditor receives notice of an application to the court under section 520, he must within a further seven days send a copy of the statement to the registrar.
If an application to the court is made under section 520 and the auditor subsequently receives notice under subsection (5) of that section, he must within seven days of receiving the notice send a copy of the statement to the registrar.
An auditor who fails to comply with subsection (1) or (2) commits an offence.
In proceedings for such an offence it is a defence for the person charged to show that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate, every officer of the body who is in default also commits the offence. For this purpose—