Vocation chief Mark Hutchinson ‘should have been axed earlier’ after a damning audit review into the quality and practices of two of its businesses and the aggressive revenue recognition practices; How hedge funds predicted Vocation’s collapse

http://www.theage.com.au/business/vocation-chief-mark-hutchinson-should-have-been-axed-earlier-20150128-12zssi.html

http://www.afr.com/p/blogs/christopher_joye/how_hedge_funds_predicted_vocation_r6J4KeYJJzzNunta13gz6H

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/vocation-shares-dive-again-as-education-investigations-revealed/story-e6frg8zx-1227106479941?nk=511df2786b662fdf04e8914bcd346c7d

http://www.afr.com/p/business/companies/the_rise_and_fall_of_vocation_X4tajs9xj20pZn5aqBekRM

Vocation chief Mark Hutchinson ‘should have been axed earlier’

January 28, 2015 – 5:36PM

Simon Evans

Vocation

Former CEO Mark Hutchinson announced Vocation’s bottom-line loss was expected to be $27 million – almost $60 million worse than a profit forecast made by the company in December. Photo: Nic Walker

The largest shareholder in ailing education firm Vocation is warning against a “fire sale” of assets and says the board squandered an opportunity for a more timely restructuring by not removing chief executive Mark Hutchinson last year. Continue reading

[Flashback] India’s market regulator accuses Factorial of insider trading

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/05/india-regulator-insidertrading-idUSL3N0OM3YK20140605

Posted by YEO Wei Lin, Year 3 undergrad at the School of Accountancy, Singapore Management University

(Reuters) – India’s stock market regulator accused Hong Kong-based Factorial Capital Management Ltd of insider trading, saying it suspected the hedge fund had shorted L&T Finance Holdings Ltd before the announcement of a share sale in the company in mid-March. Continue reading

[Flashback] China’s Tianhe denies overstating profits, cites investor support

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/11/us-tianhechemical-anonymousanalytics-idUSKBN0H60GV20140911

Posted by YEO Wei Lin, Year 3 undergrad at the School of Accountancy, Singapore Management University

(Reuters) – Tianhe Chemicals (1619.HK) has denied allegations that it made false statements in its initial public offering prospectus and said key investor Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has given it full support.

A report by Anonymous Analytics, which describes itself as a “faction” of the hacker group Anonymous, accused the Chinese chemicals company of conducting “one of the largest stock market frauds ever conceived,” based on analyses of different company reports, tax statements, market analysis and visits to customers mentioned in Tianhe filings. Continue reading

Credit Suisse Sues REI Agro in Singapore Over Alleged Loan Fraud for non-existent trades of the staple using a web of sham rice-trading companies in Singapore and Hong Kong

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2015-01-20/credit-suisse-sues-rei-agro-in-singapore-over-alleged-loan-fraud.html

Credit Suisse Sues REI Agro in Singapore Over Alleged Loan Fraud

By Andrea Tan – Jan 19, 2015

Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN) sued REI Agro Ltd. (REIA) in Singapore claiming the Indian basmati rice producer and 16 related companies conspired to get loans for non-existent trades of the staple. REI Agro founders Sandip and Sanjay Jhunjhunwala used a web of sham rice-trading companies in Singapore and Hong Kong to support a 2012 $115.5 million loan agreement by REI Agro’s Dubai-based Ammalay Commoditiess JLT, according to a lawsuit in the Singapore High Court. Continue reading

Indonesia’s Indofood to cut stake in China Minzhong and need not consolidate Minzhong’s accounts; Glaucus had questioned China Minzhong Food’s accounting practices, including an alleged fabrication of sales figures to the company’s top two customers

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/16/indofood-sukses-minzhong-idUSL3N0UV3F420150116

Indonesia’s Indofood to cut stake in China Minzhong

Fri, Jan 16 2015

* Indofood to sell 347 mln China Minzhong shares at S$1.20 each

* Sale to investment vehicle controlled by company executives

* Sale will cut Indofood’s stake in China Minzhong to 29.94 pct

* Indofood says China Minzhong needed longer time to reach targets (Adds analyst comment, background)

By Eveline Danubrata

JAKARTA, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Indonesian instant noodle maker PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk will cut its stake in China Minzhong Food Corp Ltd more than a year after it became the controlling shareholder of the Singapore-listed vegetable processing firm. Continue reading

Shares of Indonesian coal mine owner Resources Prima Group crashed 44.8% in one day; The telephone number it provided in its recent SGX filings turned out to belong to a corporate secretary firm that did not know how to reach Resources Prima

http://infopub.sgx.com/FileOpen/Sky_One_Holdings_-_Circular_dated_30_Sep_14_(without_Appendix_F).ashx?App=Prospectus&FileID=23388

THE PROPOSED CHANGE OF AUDITORS
The current auditors of the Company are Mazars LLP. The Directors are proposing the appointment of Baker Tilly TFW as auditors of the Company in respect of the forthcoming financial period following the Acquisition Completion. Following the Acquisition Completion, the principal business of the Sky One Group (with the exception of the business in PT Energy) will be replaced by the business of the Target Group. As such, the New Board is of the opinion that Baker Tilly TFW will be more familiar with and better positioned to act as the auditors of the Company following the Acquisition Completion and the Disposal Completion.

Mazars LLP Partner in charge – Lai Keng Wei

Baker Tilly TFW LLP Partner in charge – Khor Boon Hong

Indonesian mine owner’s shares plunge 44.8%

16 January 2015

Straits Times

SHARES of Indonesian mine owner Resources Prima Group crashed as much as 47.5 per cent yesterday, prompting the Singapore Exchange (SGX) to ask the firm to explain any possible reasons for the plunge. The bourse queried the company at around 3pm, pointing to “unusual price movements in your shares recently and unusual volume movements in your shares today”. From its closing price of 18.3 cents on Wednesday, the stock fell to as low as 9.6 cents – 47.5 per cent down – before recovering slightly. It ended at 10.1 cents, down 8.2 cents or 44.8 per cent. It was the day’s most active counter on turnover of 105.7 million units, a sharp jump from the 18.2 million shares that changed hands on Wednesday.

Resources Prima, which listed on the Catalist in November last year via a reverse takeover of Sky One Holdings which valued the miner at 20 cents apiece, could not be contacted. The telephone number it provided in its recent SGX filings turned out to belong to a corporate secretary firm that did not know how to reach Resources Prima. Its sponsor, Mr Alex Tan, who is chief executive officer of Canaccord Genuity Singapore, also could not be reached. Resources Prima’s business is coal exploration and coal mining in East Kalimantan. It is led by chief executive Agus Sugiono, who joined the board last November.

One of the highest accounting fraud in India since Satyam with Delhi-based Lilliput Kidswear under liquidation; Bain brought action against EY for “fraud, aiding and abetting fraud, negligent misrepresentation”

http://www.vccircle.com/news/consumer/2015/01/13/lilliput-kidswear-under-liquidation-promoter-says-has-stay-order

Lilliput Kidswear under liquidation; promoter says has a stay order

Shruti Ambavat, 14 January 2015, VC Circle

The firm unsuccessfully tried to rope in new investors and revive plans for IPO. Kids’ apparel retailer Lilliput Kidswear Ltd, the Delhi-based firm which had locked horns with its PE investors Bain Capital and TPG four years ago leading to an eventual exit of the investors from the firm, is now under liquidation, it is learnt. This could bring the debt-laden firm to the end of the road after it unsuccessfully tried to resurrect by roping in new investors. The company was facing several cases from lenders and other debtors with winding up petitions over pending payments.

As per records of the Registrar of Companies (RoC) the firm is under liquidation. However, Sanjeev Narula, promoter and chief of Lilliput Kidswear, said the firm is still contesting the winding up petitions and said he has a stay order on liquidation from the court. A consortium of bankers led by Allahabad Bank had filed for action against the company under SARFAESI Act 2002. As reported earlier, several lenders including China Trust Bank had filed court cases to recover their dues.

Its troubles started a year after it attracted Bain and TPG to co-invest to pick 45 per cent stake together in Lilliput Kidswear in 2010. In particular Bain invested Rs 265 crore ($59 million) to buy 31 per cent of which Rs 114 crore was invested in the company and the rest to buy previous PE investor Everstone Capital’s stake in the firm.

Bain and TPG Capital had alleged they were alerted to problems with the accounts at Lilliput by an unnamed whistle-blower, who is believed to be a former senior executive at Lilliput. The whistle-blower had apparently approached EY (formerly E&Y) but the red flag was dismissed and the auditor certified the company’s accounts once again. Continue reading

Anonymous letter sparks off Malaysian-listed mTouche discovery of RM6.3m accounting fraud

http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2015/01/14/Anonymous-letter-sparks-off-mTouche-discovery-of-RM6pt3m-fraud/?style=biz

Anonymous letter sparks off mTouche discovery of RM6.3m fraud

Wednesday, 14 January 2015

By: ESTELLE TOH KAR INN

KUALA LUMPUR: mTouche Technology Bhd’s shares were untraded at 21.5 sen on Wednesday as the company provided details and lodged a police report over the possible financial irregularities concerning operating expenditure transactions totalling RM6.3m from February 2009 to October 2010 following an anonymous letter addressed to its audit committee. Continue reading

Phosphagenics CEO vows to rebuild company’s reputation after it was embroiled in a $6 million accounting fraud conducted by former CEO Esra Ogru to fund her lifestyle and support her sick daughter

http://www.theage.com.au/business/phosphagenics-ceo-vows-to-rebuild-companys-reputation-20150114-12o5gn.html

http://www.theage.com.au/business/biotech-ceo-took-money-for-need-greed-20141009-113thh.html

“Her lawyer David Grace QC said some of the embezzled money went on lifestyle, including travel, jewellery and mortgage repayments. “In some way she felt…she deserved more in terms of remuneration and wanted a better lifestyle in a hurry,” he told the Victorian County Court on Thursday. But Mr Grace said her motivation changed in May 2008 with the birth of her daughter, who had a life-long condition stemming from a missing gene. “Prior (to May 2008) can be characterised as greed, (but) post, greed and need,” he said. Mr Grace said the family home was renovated to accommodate the daughter’s needs and a special wheelchair was bought. But he also said a lot of money was spent on funding the girl’s medical needs. He said his client’s daughter became the first human in the world to trial an experimental therapy developed on animals in Germany, which had to be administered daily, and said the treatment had led to the drug becoming a prescription medicine worldwide.”

Phosphagenics CEO vows to rebuild company’s reputation

January 14, 2015 – 5:37PM

Jessica Gardner

New Phosphagenics chief executive Ross Murdoch will seek partnerships with pharmaceutical giants and consider simplifying the company’s many and varied projects, but says one of his main jobs will be rebuilding the reputation of the embattled drug delivery developer.

The company has struggled to impress investors after it was embroiled in a $6 million fraud conducted by Dr Murdoch’s predecessor, Esra Ogru, and two other staff members, which was uncovered 18 months ago. Continue reading

Baby milk manufacturer Yashili International shares slide 6 pct on profit warning; “The sector is booming so it is ridiculous to say the sector is not doing well”

http://www.scmp.com/print/business/companies/article/1679520/baby-milk-manufacturer-yashili-international-shares-slide-6-pct

Baby milk manufacturer Yashili International shares slide 6 pct on profit warning

Wednesday, 14 January, 2015, 10:05am

Benjamin Robertsonbenjamin.robertson@scmp.com

Shares in baby milk powder manufacturer Yashili International dipped 6.1 per cent in early trading after the firm said it expected 2014 year end profits to fall about 40 per cent. The Guangdong based firm blamed a slowdown in the growth of the paediatric milk powder industry and said it was reforming its marketing and distribution models, according to a recent stock market filing. Continue reading