Fraud office focus on SSL
The Serious Fraud Office is conducting a preliminary examination into SSL International after receiving information from the healthcare company that overstated its results for 1999 and 2000.
The SFO said it had received information from SSL which it is looking into. It added the purpose of its examination was to ‘establish whether it is within our jurisdiction to investigate the company.’
An SFO spokesman told AccountancyAge.com: ‘Allegations have been made to us and we are now studying the allegations to see if it is right to investigate.’
SSL confirmed it had been in contact with the SFO, but said it was inappropriate for it to comment on the topic.
Accountancy Age reported preliminary contact between the company and the SFO in June.
At the time the SFO was awaiting evidence from SSL to see if there was fraud to examine.
An SSL spokeswoman said the company would give its findings to the SFO when an investigation by KPMG Forensic Accounting into the overstated accounts had been completed.
It is not clear whether the investigation has been completed. SSL said it had hoped the investigation would be completed by the time of the annual general meeting tomorrow, the same meeting in which the fate of the company auditor Andersens will be decided. Yesterday, the company’s spokeswoman said she was not aware of the investigation being completed.
Links
KPMG probe £50m stock error at SSL