Enron Corporation was an energy company based in Houston, Texas.Prior to its bankruptcy in late 2001, Enron employed around 21,000 people and was one of the world’s leading electricity, natural gas, and communications companies, with claimed revenues of $101 billion in 2000. Once the largest buyer and seller of natural gas and electricity in the US, Enron also traded numerous other commodities and provided risk management, project financing, and engineering services. Fortune magazine named Enron America’s Most Innovative Company” for six consecutive years. It became most famous at the end of 2001 when it was revealed that it was sustained mostly by institutionalized
Former Enron chief Jeffrey Skilling has denied encouraging Enron workers to falsify profits at the firm.
In his second day of giving evidence at a trial in Houston he added prosecution witnesses had lied when they said he was part of such a cover-up.
“Did you ever have a single conversation where you sat down with anyone at Enron where you said in so many words, ‘Look we’re not cutting it, we need to break the law?'” Mr Skilling’s defence lawyer asked
Former Enron chief Jeffrey Skilling has said he is “absolutely innocent” of any charges linked to the firm’s collapse.
He made the comments as he began what is viewed by experts as his “make or break” testimony against charges of fraud and conspiracy.
“I’m absolutely innocent,” Mr Skilling said as he began his testimony at the federal court in Houston
A key prosecution witness lied about taking part in Enron-related crimes, an assistant of former Enron chiefs Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling has said.
Joannie Williamson told defence lawyers Mark Koenig admitted he had pleaded guilty to crimes he did not commit.
The defence team has repeatedly claimed fear of prosecution had pushed many Enron executives to plead guilty
Former Enron executives lied to investors about its financial state because they knew the truth would destroy the company, a court has heard.
Testifying at the trial of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, former Treasurer Ben Glisan Jr said his bosses were full aware of the firm’s growing debt.
He said Mr Lay asked him about managing the firm’s accounts in 2001 to avoid a cut in Enron’s credit rating
The executive who first raised concerns about financial malpractice at Enron said an internal investigation into accounting procedures was “bogus”.
Testifying at the trial of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, Sherron Watkins said she first raised doubts about Enron’s accounting methods in August 2001.
“Accounting just doesn’t get that creative,” she said, referring to structures used by Enron to hide debts
Defence lawyers acting for former Enron boss Kenneth Lay have accused a chief witness against him of helping to bring about the US energy giant’s collapse.
Former finance chief Andrew Fastow lied to his bosses at Enron while stealing millions of dollars from the bankrupt firm, Mr Lay’s defence attorney said.
Mr Fastow was facing cross-examination after giving evidence against Mr Lay and fellow Enron boss Jeffery Skilling
Enron’s former boss lied about the state of the firm’s finances months before its collapse, the company’s ex-finance chief has testified.
Andrew Fastow said Ken Lay claimed that Enron’s finances were robust in a interview in August 2001 despite him being aware of mounting problems.
“It was what Mr Lay was saying
Enron’s former chief financial officer has testified to setting up partnerships designed to help the firm hide losses of millions of dollars.
Andrew Fastow took the witness stand at the trial of ex-Enron bosses Jeffrey Skilling and Ken Lay.
The two deny multiple charges of conspiracy, fraud and insider trading linked to the collapse of the US energy firm in December 2001
Enron regularly used money from its reserves to manipulate profits, a former senior executive at the US energy firm has testified.
David Delainey told the trial of former Enron bosses Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling that hiding losses was “standard operating procedure”.
“At Enron, we tended to be pretty fast and loose with its rules,” he said
Enron boosted its earnings by dipping into reserve accounts, a former chief accountant at a unit of the scandal-hit energy company has testified in court.
Wesley Colwell claimed that he shifted $14m (£8m) from one account onto Enron’s balance sheet so that the firm could beat Wall Street profit targets.
Prosecutors are trying to prove that Enron’s former bosses manipulated accounts to boost its share price