39. Offences by body of persons

Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body of persons, then -

if that body is a body corporate, every person who at the time of the commission of the offence was a director of that body corporate; and

if that body is a firm, every person who at the time of the commission of the offence was a partner of that firm, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.