Correct an interview answer when the records show something different
Handle a factual correction after a liquidator interview when later records contradict recollection.
Corporate Recovery Partners
01 / 06
A document changes what you remember
After speaking with the liquidator, you find a bank statement showing that a payment happened differently from the way you recalled it. Tell your lawyer promptly and ask how to correct the information. Do not leave an answer you now know may be inaccurate simply because correcting it feels uncomfortable. Equally, do not send a hurried new explanation before checking what the records actually show.
Imagine a director recalling that a supplier was paid before a major customer cancelled an order. The statement shows the payment occurred afterwards. Note the question, the answer as you remember giving it and the evidence now located. Distinguish a confirmed date from any remaining uncertainty about who authorised the payment or why it was made.
business.gov.au recommends protecting records from unauthorised changes and keeping backups. Retain the original statement and relevant correspondence. Do not alter a diary entry to make it appear that you always remembered the correct sequence. Prepare a separately dated note explaining what was found and when. Your adviser needs the actual history of the information, including the reason for the correction.
In the director's example, the statement establishes the payment date but may not explain the commercial reasoning. Say what the document supports and what you cannot now remember. Avoid replacing one uncertain answer with a confident story constructed to make the timing seem better. Ask the lawyer about any other records that should be checked before the correction is provided.
Have the adviser explain how to send the correction and supporting material, taking account of the nature of the interview and any formal process. Identify the particular answer being corrected so the recipient can connect it to the earlier discussion. Keep evidence of what was supplied and any acknowledgement or further request that follows.
If the correction prompts additional questions, preserve them and respond through the advised process. Review related information without assuming every previous answer is wrong. A clear, timely correction helps maintain an accurate account of events. It is more useful than concealing a discrepancy or trying to make later documents fit a recollection that the evidence no longer supports.
