Entries by ceadmin

Jail term for China Aviation boss

The former head of China Aviation Oil (CAO) has been sentenced to four years and three months in jail for his role in the firm’s near-collapse in 2004.

Chen Jiulin, who had earlier pleaded guilty to six charges including insider trading, was also fined 350,000 Singapore dollars ($207,300; £124,000).

Four directors at the company had already been sentenced by a Singapore court for their part in the scandal

Bank fraud case worse than suspected

Following the interrogation of suspects involved in the Ramle Mercantile Discount Bank money-laundering scheme, in which 22 people where arrested some two weeks ago, police estimated on Monday that the affair would go down as perhaps the largest white-collar crime in Israel’s history.

Initial estimates put the amount of laundered money over the years somewhere in the ballpark of NIS 100 million, but those numbers have now ballooned to an estimated NIS 1 billion, according to police investigators.

Six more suspects, who allegedly operated fake accounts at the bank, were also arrested Sunday night

Occidental offers Ecuador $1bn

Occidental Petroleum is offering the Ecuador government up to $1bn (£569m) in disputed taxes, investments and extra revenues to end a legal dispute.

The row centres on whether the US firm transferred part of an Ecuadorean field to Canada’s EnCana in 2000 without approval from the Ecuador authorities.

Occidental proposes giving Ecuador at least $600m in extra revenues from the disputed area, but denies wrongdoing

Capita Financial fined for fraud

A subsidiary of the giant Capita group has been fined by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) after some of its staff helped to defraud customers.

The frauds took place in 2004 at Capita Financial Administrators (CFA) which administers the customer accounts of unit trust companies.

The police are investigating how up to 26 customers lost £328,000 and attempts were made to steal a further £1

Enron whistleblower condemns Lay

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

Livedoor shareholder to sue firm

One of Livedoor’s main investors is to sue the scandal-hit Japanese firm for compensation, saying it bought its stake under false pretences.

Broadcaster Fuji Television Network said it acquired the 12.5% stake on the basis of false financial information

China Aviation boss pleads guilty

The former head of China Aviation Oil (CAO) has pleaded guilty to six charges related to its near collapse in 2004.

Chen Jiulin pleaded guilty in Singapore’s subordinate court to charges including making false statements and insider trading.

Four directors at the company have already been sentenced for their part in the scandal

Perfume cartel fined £32m

Manufacturers of some of the world’s most glamorous perfume and cosmetics brands were fined by French competition authorities yesterday after it was ruled that the companies had colluded to keep prices high at the expense of the consumer.

Thirteen iconic brands, including Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Guerlain, and three leading French retailers were fined almost £32 million between them for inflating prices between 1997 and 2000.

The French competition council said that under the price-fixing arrangement, a “price police” was set up between them to artificially inflate prices, put pressure on individual vendors and threaten reprisals against those that refused to apply the prices set by the perfume and cosmetic brands

Key Enron witness ‘duped bosses’

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