Ernst & Young (“E&Y”) has settled the Akai Holdings (“Akai”) case with Akai’s liquidator, Borrelli Walsh. In the case, E&Y was accused of negligence for failing to avert Akai’s collapse in 2004.
E&Y had been Akai’s auditor prior to the collapse, which remains Hong Kong’s biggest ever insolvency. The terms of the settlement are confidential.
On 24 September 2009, the South China Morning Post reported that new evidence had come to light which suggested that E&Y’s staff tampered with or faked hundreds of documents relating to its audit of Akai.
E&Y has reportedly referred the case to the city’s accounting watchdog, which could pass it on to the Financial Reporting Council for investigation. Certain E&Y staff have also been suspended pending further enquiries.
