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.
A new controversy is brewing in Delhi after the state government shortlisted five bidders for providing response services for medical, police and fire emergencies.
A union of IT and BPO workers has written to the Election Commission to halt the sale process of fraud-hit Satyam Computer until a new government takes over and current investigations being carried out by CBI reach a logical conclusion.
"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 buzz refuses to die down even though other PE players, investment bankers and analysts say such an alliance is highly unlikely. Wilbur Ross, meanwhile, is understood to have completed the due diligence of the scam-tainted IT company. When contacted, a company official declined comment.
Despite wage hikes, an appreciating rupee, and fewer working days nibbling at their profit margins during the quarter ended December 31, 2007, the five IT majors Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys Technologies, Wipro, Satyam Computer Services and HCL Technologies posted revenue and net profit figures that were in line with market expectations.
For the first time in almost six months after it was acquired by Tech Mahindra, Satyam Computer Services (now rebranded as Mahindra Satyam) will hire 130 people from outside the company.
A court allowed the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), a central government body, to question Satyam Computer Services founder B Ramalinga Raju, former managing director B Rama Raju, former chief financial officer Srinivas Vadlamani and two Price Waterhouse auditors, S Gopalakrishnan and Srinivas Talluri, for six days from March 29.
A local court on Friday extended the judicial remand of Satyam Computer founder B Ramalinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju, former CFO of the IT firm V Srinivas and two former auditors of PricewaterhouseCoopers by 14 days.
ICAI starts proceedings against software firm's CFO and head of audit cell.
Australian telecom giant Telstra has reportedly dropped outsourcing partner Satyam Computer Services from an applications support contract worth Aus $32 million annually.
"Satyam will give us the scale. This will make us stronger," says Phaneesh Murthy, CEO of the Freemont (California)-based IT services provider, iGate Corporation, and one of the suitors of the beleaguered IT corporation.
On one hand, they feel the sale will help in restore the firm's past glory. On the other, they fear that life would be tougher in the new company. Notwithstanding management assurances that existing staff won't be retrenched after the takeover, several employees are understood to be hunting for openings elsewhere.
While the other two companies in the group--Satyam Computer and Maytas Infrastructure--are back to business-as-usual with new promoters, Maytas Properties (MayProp) is yet to get its house in order. This is despite the passage of more than a year after the founder-promoter, B Ramalinga Raju, confessed to a big accounting fraud.
L&T is the largest single shareholder in Satyam holding a 12 per cent stake in the IT firm.
The Satyam board may present prospective bidders for the troubled Satyam Computer Services with operating statements for two quarters - October-December 2008 and January-March 2009 - to help them arrive at a decision.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India is all set to begin the proposed peer audit review of the companies that form the Sensex and Nifty benchmark indices.
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.
Satyam Computer Services on Friday received approval from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India to facilitate a global competitive bidding process enabling it to sell 51 per cent stake in the company to a strategic investor.
Bidding guidelines for inviting a strategic investor in Satyam Computer Services Ltd are expected to be ready in 10-15 days, Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta has said. "It would be a transparent process," said Gupta. The Satyam board was in touch with the financial consultants and would take a decision soon, he added.
On February 17, 2009, Satyam case was handed over to CBI.
According to Sud, MYNL had sold most of its holding in Satyam immediately after the IT major made an aborted bid to acquire Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties for $1.6 billion on December 16, 2008. MYNL still holds 6,000 equity shares of Satyam.
Satyam Computers founder B Ramalinga Raju, who is in jail for the past eight months in connection with a Rs 8,000 crore corporate fraud, suffered a massive heart attack and was admitted to a hospital on Monday night, jail and police sources said. Raju, who will turn 55 on September 16, was transferred to the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences hospital from Chanchalguda jail, where he is under judicial custody on charges including fraud, forgery, cheating, embezzlement.
The government is understood to be in favour of selling a 51 per cent stake in the beleaguered Satyam Computer Services, so that the ailing firm can raise sufficient funds to meet its working capital expenses and liabilities from the class-action suits.
Following the disclosure of fraud by Raju on January 7, Gupta said the share price of Satyam Computer on the bourses dropped from Rs 188 to Rs 30.70 before closing at Rs 38.40. "It (the share) has been traded at different prices since then," he added. The new board of Satyam, headed by former Nasscom president Kiran Karnik, is trying to ensure 'continuity of business and operations of the company in the interest of its stakeholders', the minister said.
After hearing a petition filed by Satyam on Wednesday, CLB ordered that the company could conduct an open transparent auction process for inducting a strategic investor.
This was decided in the business advisory committee meeting, where the leaders of various political parties agreed for a discussion on the fraud. The short duration discussion in the Lok Sabha was listed for February 13 but was deferred following a request from leader of the Opposition L K Advani.
Satyam Computer Services, a leading global IT services company, on Wednesday signed an estimated $200 million (around Rs 900 crore) five-year contract with California-based Applied Materials
The government constituted board of scam-tainted Satyam Computer Services is looking at reducing the number of senior managers so as to ensure that the IT company is "as viable as possible" for a strategic investor.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, corporate affairs minister Prem Chand Gupta said while the Serious Fraud Investigation Office under his ministry had been given three-months to wrap up its probe into the Satyam scam, no time-frame has been set for CBI.
Scam-tainted Satyam Computer is planning to restate its financial results for the third quarter ended December 2008 by March-end. "Our auditors are working towards this end," a Satyam spokesperson said on Friday, adding that the only caveat to this possibility would be if the auditors decide to restate results of the company over the past several years, which could further delay a clearer picture of the Hyderabad-based IT company's actual financial position.
The regulator said the amendment to the Sebi (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 1997, provides for 'relaxation from the strict compliance of provisions of Chapter-III in certain cases.' Chapter-III deals with mandatory open offer if an entity acquires 15 per cent stake in a company, as also for acquisition or change of control of the company, among others.
While some industry observers said it's good for the company, others dismissed him as an interim arrangement before the government-appointed board finally sells out the company. In an email interview to Business Standard, A S Murty details his course of action.
Satyam's short-term requirements include funds for paying salaries to employees in India and abroad, rentals, arrears to vendors and provident fund dues. The Hyderabad IT-major has already secured loans worth Rs 600 crore from IDBI Bank and Bank of Baroda. It is now understood to have plans to seek more loans from other state-owned banks as well.
A local court on Saturday extended the judicial custody of Ramalinga Raju, his brother and former managing director Rama Raju and former chief financial officer Vadlamani Srinivas till February 21.
The scam-hit Satyam Computer founder B Ramalinga Raju, brother Rama Raju and ex-chief financial officer Srinivas are in 'protective custody', former Securities and Exchange Board of India chief M Damodaran said in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
The scam-tainted Satyam Computer Services appears to be gearing for action after almost a month of uncertainty.
Satyam Computer Services Limited on Thursday announced that it has implemented an organisation-wide, virtual learning environment called Satyam Learning World.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) team met the six-member government appointed board of the Satyam Computer Services here on Thursday.
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