Michael Lionello Cowan

The investigation, undertaken by Mr Hannon, revealed that the company had raised more than £5 million from investors after setting out to gain £2.5 million worth of investment for the film. The agency said that more than £3.4 million of the funds raised went into sales commissions and £1.15 million of the remaining amount was paid to two of Mr Cowan’s other companies. A total of £200,000 went towards the purchase of a house. However Michael Cowan was completely oblivious to the fact that this had occurred at the time. When he discovered Wilkinson's actions he immediately reported this to the police and this matter is still an ongoing investigation. Michael Cowan is in fact a victim of a fraudster who used his (Cowan's) unblemished twenty five year career to hide behind.

The order means that Mr Cowan is not allowed to act as a director of a company, take part - directly or indirectly - in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership, or to be a receiver of a company’s property for the 13-year period. Mr Cowan is a Ghanaian-born British film producer who has 93 credits as producer listed on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).

In February 2018, Michael was banned from running a UK company for 13 years due to an ex business associate Steve Wilkinson having raised more than £5 million for a film that was never made. Michael Cowan, was the former director of Warlord Productions Ltd by default. His name had been added to Company House without him first being informed. When he complained about this to his ex business associate Wilkinson, he was unable to remove his name as director because Wilkinson then confessed to being a bankrupt and unable to take on directorship himself. Cowan then tried to close the company but Wilkinson had already started to raise money from members of the public who thought they were investing in a feature film named Henry 5. Michael Cowan has now been disqualified from being a company director for 13 years because of his unfortunate association with Wilkinson.

The court order was made against Mr Cowan after government agency the Insolvency Service launched an investigation into the company 'Warlord'. Michael Cowan chose to resign as director to Warlord in an attempt to stop Wilkinson from taking over after his bankruptcy ended. This was because he (Cowan) had discovered that Wilkinson had squandered the funds raised, on personal gain. Cowan reported his findings immediately to the Police in early 2015. The investigation into Warlord led to it being wound up in the public interest by the High Court in 2015. Wilkinson was arrested and bailed in July 2015. Michael Cowan has never been arrested.

Warlord Productions Ltd was formed on 29 January 2013, companies house had received a complaint in regards to Cowan having his name fraudulently added to several companies. Mr Cowan did not attend court when the company was dissolved and was not represented when the disqualification order was made. He intends to appeal the decision via his lawyers Hughman's once the investigation is concluded.

In 2010, he received an Honorary Degree from LiUM University (Libera Università di Scienze Umane e Neuroscienze) for his outstanding contribution to cinematography.

Michael Cowan (born 16 February 1965) is a British film producer. In a career spanning more than two decades, Cowan's films have covered many themes and genres, such as science-fiction and adventure films. He was born in Ghana to an English businessman and an Italian mother.