Fresh suitors have emerged, and a cleanup is proceeding under a board appointed by the government. But the fraud leaves a cloud over Indian outsourcing.
Counsel for Satyam Computer's founder B Ramalinga Raju on Wednesday objected to the manner in which market regulator Sebi was conducting the interrogation, saying his client was not allowed to have any legal assistance, and also threatened to challenge the process in the Supreme Court.
A five-member Sebi team arrived at the Chanchalguda Central Prison in Hyderabad on Wednesday to quiz Satyam Computer founder Ramalinga Raju and his brother and former Managing Director Rama Raju regarding the Rs 7,800-crore (Rs 78 billion) financial fraud in the IT firm.
The board meeting, which was expected to be held on February 5, was brought forward by a day. "Announcements relating to critical leadership appointments are expected to be made at the board meeting," the company's internal newsletter stated.
Amid concerns being raised over its revival, the scandal-hit Satyam Computer on Tuesday said it has won as many as 15 new outsourcing contracts in January from clients in the United States, Europe and rest of the world.
Under the takeover code, an investor who acquires 15 per cent of a company needs to make an open offer for another 20 per cent at a price which is not less than the average share price of the previous six months. This means a buyer of more than 15 per cent of Satyam will have to make an open offer at a price almost six times Monday's closing price of Rs 57.60.
Sends team to discuss share auction with Sebi today Satyam board to sell stake via auction.
The Hinduja Group chairman, who was in Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, however, noted that the incident might not have much impact on the reputation of India Inc in the eyes of foreigners, who are more used to such scams. Raju's confession not only shocked India Inc, but investors all over the world. Such type of wrongdoings are more prevalent in the western world and foreigners are used to this kind of happenings, Hinduja said.
Since KPMG is not registered in India, it cannot undertake auditing work or restate accounts of beleaguered Satyam Computer Services, said Ved Jain, president of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of India.
The government said on Wednesday that Satyam Computer Services' disgraced founder Ramalinga Raju created a network of about 300 companies and diverted funds from one company to another in a complex but carefully planned process. Speaking to Karan Thapar on the CNN-IBN news channel, Gupta said, "Our information is that there was a network of almost 300 compnaies and funds were diverted from one company to (another) and then to (a) third."
The New York Stock Exchange-listed Indian IT major Satyam Computer Services' founder and then-chairman Ramalinga Raju had shocked the world three weeks ago on January 7 with the disclosure of a massive financial wrongdoing to the tune of over a billion dollar at the company. This was followed by the NYSE suspending trading in Satyam shares the very same day.
DiPiazza's visit coincides with Price Waterhouse suspending two of its partners -- S Goplakrishnan and Srinivas Talluri -- who worked on the accounts of scam-hit Satyam Computer Services and were arrested last week.
The Andhra Pradesh government will review the concession agreement it has signed with Maytas-led consortium for developing the Machilipatnam Port as the winning bidder for the over Rs 1,500-crore (Rs 15 billion) project has failed to tie up funds within the stipulated time.
Satyam Computer on Friday said it has shortlisted three candidates for the post of CEO and CFO and was close to arranging funds to meet immediate requirements like salary payments, while dispelling doubts about the total employee strength of 53,000.
Satyam's director Tarun Das had earlier said that the company had been approached by Indian and international IT companies and that the board would decide on it. Reports have suggested that engineering major L&T has expressed interest in acquiring Satyam, while Tech Mahindra is interested in the telecom business of the Satyam group.
Brokerages in India as well as foreign firms that track Indian companies have started corporate governance checks on the companies that they analyse after major foreign institutional investors as well as other investors raised doubts over the reported numbers, in the wake of the Satyam Computers scam.
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.
A local court in Hyderabad on Thursday extended the police custody of disgraced former chairman of Satyam Computer B Ramalinga Raju by one more day. The 6th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ramakrishna also extended the police custody of former chief financial officer Vadlamani Srinivas by one more day.
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.
In a sensational disclosure, a public prosecutor has told a local court in Hyderabad that the disgraced chairman of Satyam Computer Services B Ramalinga Raju had not only inflated the number of employees by thirteen thousand but also used the fictitious numbers to mint money.
The company, promoted by former Satyam Computer Services chairman B Ramalinga Raju's family, was originally required to announce its third-quarter results by the end of this month. Various agencies, including the state Criminal Investigation Department, have been probing the Maytas affair after B Ramalinga Raju admitted to serious financial fraud in Satyam.
Government agencies probing the Satyam accounting fraud are in possession of what may well be forged letters from banks certifying that they had issued those FDRs. Sources in one of these banks told Business Standard that it had not issued any letter certifying the existence of FDRs to Price Waterhouse. A Price Waterhouse team may soon make a presentation to the new government-appointed board of Satyam and explain how it relied on the documents.
State Farm Insurance, a Fortune 500 US company, which last week terminated its existing contracts with the scam-tainted Satyam Computer, has now started transferring its projects to other IT vendors, including those from India.
The regulator's announcement on disclosure of pledged shares comes in the wake of the Satyam scam, wherein promoter Ramalinga Raju had pledged nearly all his shares -- whose prices he had inflated by falsifying profits. The details of disclosure, which should be made in two stages -- event-based and periodical -- will be notified shortly after amending the relevant regulations and listing agreements, Sebi chairman C B Bhave told reporters after the board meeting in Mumbai.
Engineering giant Larsen and Toubro, which acquired little over four per cent stake in Satyam in less than a month, is believed to have approached the government on Tuesday, evincing interest to buy the troubled IT company.
Sources said that Essar group firm Aegis BPO submitted the EoI recently as the Essar group is trying to expand its BPO business. Both Aegis and Satyam BPO work with companies in telecom, banking, finance and insurance. Satyam BPO's biggest international clients reportedly include BellSouth, Verizon and GlaxoSmithKline
Amid reports that education-focused IT firm Educomp too fudged accounts just like Satyam Computer did to inflate stock prices, the government on Tuesday said it would seek information from the company.
Larsen & Toubro, India's largest engineering company, has sought permission from the market regulator to sell its 6.9 per cent stake in Mahindra Satyam, which is currently valued at around Rs 900 crore.
Upaid chairman and CEO Simon Simon Joyce told Business Standard, "Yes, Satyam has withdrawn the disparagement case and they have done so unilaterally. But I do not think that this will impact the primary case of fraud and forgery.
The board also confirmed that the search for the CEO and CFO continues and that till such time these appointments are concluded, it will continue to meet on a weekly basis, to address ongoing issues. The board members reiterated that they are in touch with key customers and so far have not heard of deliveries being affected in any way.
The country's largest software exporter, Tata Consultancy Service, on Monday said some Satyam Computer clients have turned to the Tata company on their own, adding it would not approach the clients of the scam-tainted firm.
A well-balanced board of directors, proactive shareholders and swift action against malpractices could restore market confidence.
Even as the buzz around Vivel Paul's candidature as CEO is still doing the rounds at Satyam Computer Services, insiders say the government is considering a person who was an integral part of the company till three months ago.
The 6th Metropolitan Magistrate M Ramakrishna passing the orders on a petition of the Crime Branch-CID of Andhra Pradesh Police on Saturday remanded them to the CID's custody for four days, starting from Sunday.
The decision to withdraw from participating in the special purpose vehicle, being promoted by the Matyas Group, was taken by the MMTC board. MMTC was in the process of receiving shareholders' approval for investing Rs 85.85 crore and picking up up to a five per cent stake in the Maytas Group's SPV for the SEZ.
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.
Sebi has launched a coordinated investigation with the Registrar of Companies to examine transactions between Satyam and its bankers BNP Paribas, Citibank, HSBC, HDFC and ICICI Bank
An Indian software engineer working with scam-hit Satyam Computer Services was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Arkansas in the United States.
As a fallout of the financial irregularities in Satyam Computer Services, a section of the United Progressive Alliance government is in favour of cancelling the award of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. The project was won by the Nava Bharat-led consortium, in which Maytas Infra, a listed firm related to Satyam's promoters, is one of the partners.
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