In an e-mail interview to Assistant Managing Editor Indrani Roy Mitra, chairman of National Association of Software and Service Companies, Ganesh Natarajan discusses the issues related to the Satyam debacle.
The stake of B Ramalinga Raju's family in Satyam Computer Services may have come down to just around four per cent from 8.61 per cent of the equity of Rs 134.10 crore as at the end of March 2008.
The Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said on Friday investigations into the multi-crore accounting fraud in Satyam Computers is almost complete and a final report from the Enforcement Directorate and the Internal Revenue Services is awaited.
The court had earlier asked Raju's lawyers to file an affidavit on whether the Satyam founder can be examined through a questionnaire.
More trouble is brewing for Maytas Properties Ltd, the unlisted company promoted by the family of Satyam Computer Services Ltd founder B Ramalinga Raju.
A source close to the development pointed out that, with the newly-appointed Minister of Corporate Affairs Salman Khurshid publicly stating that Tech Mahindra would have to deal with the excess employee issue with 'sensitivity', this is one point that will surely be discussed.
Tech Mahindra's acquisition of Satyam Computer Services, according to an internal survey, has helped in restoring the confidence of the latter's clients, many of whom were thinking of terminating their ties with the fraud-hit IT firm.
Satyam, which started its Chennai operations in 1997 with exports of Rs 20 million, now has six offices in the city with about 3,500 employees and exports of Rs 154 crore (Rs 1.54 billion) in the year ended March 2004.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday obtained specimen signatures of former Satyam Computer chairman B Ramalinga Raju and four others accused in connection with the multi-crore rupee fraud in the IT company.
"The situation is bad. Some people are leaving and some are being asked to leave. And more important, several positions are remaining vacant. The selected candidates for these posts are not coming," said an associate, as the employees are called. "There is talk now that the new company, whichever that is, will cut at least 10,000 jobs gradually. We are praying that this is unfounded," a senior associate said.
If no bid comes within at least 90 per cent of the highest bid, the highest bidder would be declared the final buyer. Accordingly, the government-appointed board and Justice S P Bharucha, the former chief justice who will oversee the bidding, will open the sealed financial bids submitted by the shortlisted qualified bidders whose technical bids have been found satisfactory, and rank them based on price only. Earlier, there was no ranking of the bids.
The special court for economic offences here today posted six cases filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) against former directors of Satyam Computer Services Ltd in the multi-crore accounting scam to April 29 and the remaining one case to April 21.
Company balance sheets could soon acquire a new look, with the government asking ICAI to suggest ways to strengthen reporting norms following Satyam Computer Services scandal 7. ICAI sources said the mandate from the government was to ensure that company managements did not use notes to accounts as a cover-up for misdemeanours. The special group will submit its recommendations over the next few weeks.
Ever since the trial in the Satyam Computer Services fraud case began on November 8, 2010, close to 100 witnesses have deposed before the special court.
The scam-tainted Satyam Computer Services appears to be gearing for action after almost a month of uncertainty.
The jury members included Ashish Dhawan, senior managing director, ChrysCapital, Keki Dadiseth, managing director, Omnicom, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman and managing director, Biocon, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman and managing director, Aditya Birla Group and S Ramadorai, chief executive, TCS.
With the Rs 7,800-crore (Rs 78 billion) fraud at Satyam Computer leaving India's IT sector gasping for breath, Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani sees the fiasco as a blessing in disguise, as it will make authorities enforce better regulations and auditing mechanisms for the industry.
BSE CEO M L Soneji said the exchange was investigating the trading data of Satyam. Highlighting lack of corporate governance, he said this was an opportunity to revisit regulations to make company directors more responsible and auditors more accountable.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal on Wednesday directed the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to allow PW cross-examination of former key executives of Satyam - former chairman Ramalinga Raju, former managing director Rama Raju, former chief financial officer (CFO) Vadlamani Srinivas and former vice-president (finance) G Ramakrishna.
A day before the second meeting of the new Satyam Computer Services board, newly-appointed director Tarun Das said the priority of the six-member team would be to protect the interest of employees, customers and investors.
Leading accounting firm KPMG on Friday said the existing management of beleaguered Satyam Computer Services should go and the government take control of the company board to save the image of India Inc.
Breaking his silence on the embarrassing developments over the last two weeks, Raju said in an open letter to employees that 'please be assured that the Board and the leadership team are doing everything that's possible to get Satyam back on track'.
The scrip ended today's trade at Rs 90.55, down by 10.92 per cent from its previous close on the BSE.
The company has a total of 34,000 employees globally.
According to the cash outlays information of the company for the first three months of this year, Satyam spent a total of Rs 1,026 crore (Rs 10.26 billion) on paying salaries and another Rs 342.72 crore (Rs 3.427 billion) in other employee-related segments.
The new chief executive officer of the scandal-hit Satyam Computer Services, AS Murty, has asked the company's employees (associates as they are called) to reduce, avoid or defer operational expenses wherever and whenever possible "to keep the company's business running smoothly and competing effectively in the market for new business".
Bankers of scam-tainted Satyam Computer on Friday declined to comment if the IT major's accounts have been frozen, citing client confidentiality. India's fourth-largest outsourcing firm plunged into a crisis after its chairman B Ramalinga Raju admitted to gross manipulations in the company's balance sheet and resigned.
By contrast, the fraud enabled Raju's kin and aides to make hundreds of crores, charges CBI.
The latest penalties for insider trading follows an earlier disgorgement order passed by Sebi in July last year.
Satyam Computer had the market whistling on Friday as rumours were rife on the counter that it was in the process of bagging a $10-million order from global development financier, the World Bank.
Hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation plea, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma on Tuesday cancelled the bails and asked all six persons to surrender by November 8.
Board to meet investment advisors Goldman Sachs and Avendus today.
Of the 10 accused in the case, B Suryanarayana Raju, who is Raju's brother, and T Srinivas, a former auditor of PricewaterhouseCoopers, had been granted bail by different courts earlier.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Investors' Greivance Forum chief Kirit Somaiya has meanwhile filed a criminal complaint against Satyam and demanded that all transactions that have been conducted (after Raju admitted the fraud committed by him) must be reversed today (Friday, Jan 9) before 3 p.m. on the stock exchanges.
"I am of the view that resigning from the board now is like deserting a troubled ship. We should remember Satyam is a major player in global IT space, employing well over 50,000 of the best and the brightest of professionals, with vendor commitments to several global corporates and entities," said Satyam's independent director T R Prasad.
Even as Sebi officials are quizzing Satyam Computer founder B Ramalinga Raju and his brother Rama Raju at the Chanchalguda jail here, the Andhra Pradesh police are likely to make more arrests in the Rs 7,800-crore fraud involving the IT major.
A local court on Friday adjourned the case of examination of former Chairman of Satyam Computers B Ramalinga Raju through a questionnaire and nine other accused in the multi-crore accounting fraud in the IT firm to July 26.
In an interview, author and columnist Steve Hamm shared his thoughts on the Satyam episode, World Bank ban on Wipro et al.
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