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Srinivas Talluri

Auditors Price Waterhouse….You are sealing your own Fate in this Satyam fraud!

The battered auditors of Satyam,Price Waterhouse,have just issued a letter dated January 13,2009 addressed to their Client,Satyam Computer Services Ltd and marked for the attention of the three New Directors in the New Board and the Company Secretary….This Letter is also been cced to SEBI,RBI,BSE,NSE,New York Stock Exchange,ROC,Hyderabad and the Central Board of Direct Taxes

The Letter reads like a Confession of sorts.First a gist of Some important extracts and then later my observations are as below

  • The letter is signed by a Partner (Name Not Given) on behalf of Price Waterhouse.It is not signed by PWC India Chairman,Ramesh Rajan,who ,a few days ago, sent an email to all employees intimating them that they have begun a comprehensive internal review and requesting them not to discuss the Satyam Issue or offer any comments to the Press or external Sources
  • It refers to the Audit Period from Quarter ending June 30,2000 to Quarter ending September 30,2008…that’s Eight and a Half Years that included 34 quarters
  • PW planned and performed the required audit procedures on the Financial Statements Prepared by Management,examined the books and records produced by the Management and relied on Management for Controls over Financial Reporting,Information and Explanations and Verbal and Written Representations
  • In light of the Confession of Fraud by the ex-chairman and promoter of Satyam,Ramalinga Raju,PW warns that their opinions on the financial statements may be rendered inaccurate and unreliable
  • In accordance with the Guidance Note of January 2003 of the ICAI for Revision of the Audit Report and which prescribes steps the auditor must follow to prevent reliance on audit reports under such circumstances,PW has stated that their audit reports and opinions in respect of the Financial Statements for the Audit Period should no longer be relied on
  • In USA,Under GAAP too such a requirement as above is prescribed…Under Sec10A of the US Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,the Information contained in the Chairman’s Letter indicates that an illegal act could have occured.PW advises the Board of Directors to conduct an independent investigation under this US Law section to unearth this illegal act. 
  • read more

    Satyam Auditors, Price Waterhouse, issues a statement late today..Let’s put it in perspective

    In this unfolding Satyam Saga unleashed by Chairman,Ramalinga Raju’s confession on fudging accounts for years,this evening we had their auditors,Price Waterhouse releasing a statement defending their audit of Satyam ,stating it complied with generally accepted auditing standards in India and that there was appropriate evidence to support their audit

    They have also ,under the excuse of client confidentiality,refused to give more details

    Come on Price Waterhouse !…what Client !? Satyam !?…legally it is the Shareholders (Satyam has over 2 lakh of them) who have reappointed you at the last AGM as the auditors…you have a fiduciary responsibility to them more than to Satyam…so hiding behind the Coat of Client Confidentiality is clearly ill- advised

    It would ofcourse be interesting to see what their ‘appropriate evidence’ is.

    But let’s put their role in perspective and in context of the last published Annual Report of FY 2007-8

    Relevant Extracts from Satyam’s Annual Report of FY 2007-8 

    Pages 39 and 40 

    AUDIT COMMITTEE

    The Audit Committee consists of 100 percent independent and non-executive directors.There were four Members….Prof M Rammohan Rao,Chairman,Dr (Mrs) Mangalam Srinivasan,Mr T R Prasad,Prof V S Raju….There were seven committee meetings in 2007-8 an were attended by the CFO,Head of Internal Audit and Statutory Auditors as Invitees.The Committee reviewed the adequacy of the Internal Control Systems and Internal Audit Reports and their compliance thereof. 

    Page 56

    Internal Control Systems and their Adequacy…Part of Managment’s discussion and analysis…Important Points

    • The Internal Audit,an independent appraisal function to examine and evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of the Internal Control System,appraises periodically about activities and audit findings to the AUDIT COMMITTEE
    • Internal Audit ensures that transactions are executed and assets are safegaurded
    • The AUDIT COMMITTEE was constituted as a sub -committee of the Board of Directors and it consists solely of Independent Directors.The committee also holds discussions with statutory auditors,internal auditors and the Management.It also reviews with the statutory auditors the scope and results of the audit 
    • Compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002
    • Under revised Corporate Governance standards adopted by the Stock Exchanges a Certification has to be made by the CEO and the CFO of the effectiveness of the Internal Control Systems and that they have disclosed any deficiencies and how they were resolved to the Auditors and the Audit Committee

    Page 60

    Personnel Costs…Part of Managment’s discussion and analysis…Important Points

    Personnel Costs were Rs 5045.54 crs ( 62.01% of Revenues ) for an aggregate employee base of 55360 of which 43279 were technical associates,2690 were non-technical associates and 9391 were onsite technical associates

    Page 62

    Auditors Report to the Members of Satyam Computer Services Ltd  

    Point 2 : We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in India.Those Standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement….We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion

    Point 4 g goes on to give the auditors unqualified opinion that the financial statements that comprise the Balance Sheet,the Profit and Loss Account and the Cash Flow  as on March 31,2008 ,read with the notes give a True and Fair view inconformity with generally accepted accounting principles in India read more

    AUDITORS PRICE WATERHOUSE : Will Surely Pay the PRICE as there is not enough WATER to douse the SATYAM FLAMES that are engulfing their HOUSE !

    Within just one day of Satyam’s Promoter Chairman,Ramalinga Raju confessing to cooking up the Books, in his letter to the Board,the Auditing House and one of the ‘Big Four’,PRICE WATERHOUSE is already being relegated to history for their role in this unfolding and sordid Satyam Saga…remember how the Auditing Giant,Arther Anderson wound up when Enron failed !?

    Price Waterhouse audits over 100 listed Indian companies like the Auto Giants Maruti and even the huge HCL Group in the Software Sector…so it’s not that they don’t have any experience of auditing software majors…..So their obvious lapses when auditing Satyam was a huge shocker

    I remember that in 2007, when I was at a High Profile Corporate Governance Seminar in Mumbai where the dignitaries were Heads of Exchanges and Government Ministries and Leading Corporate and Auditing Houses from all over India,there was a very ‘show offy’ lady from Price Waterhouse whose presentation revolved around their specially developed software of a Corporate Governance System that clould be implemented by Corporates….When the Chief Secretary of the Orissa Government,one Mr Patnaik,asked her how much would this Software and Implementation Cost and could it be applied to PSU and Government Set Ups,this lady had the bloody cheek and arrogance to state ” You probably would not be able to afford it !…It would cost over Rs One Crore “….There was a shocked and studied silence for a few moments on her brazenness…When I was asked to address the audience I commented on this sort of arrogant and snobbish mindset by professionals..She was just one of a Tribe, that sadly has many members,who have inflated egos and inflated opinions of themselves and their firm and status….I daresay it’s a contagious American Banking and Corporate Trait…but look where it’s landed America and it’s once major Powerhouse Icons !

    Auditors are appointed by Shareholders at the AGM to ensure Independent Review and Audit of the Financial Books and Assets…but for all purposes their Independence is severely compromised as they have to interact with Management and Promoters to solicit increase in Fees and potential other Business like Certification,Tax and Conultancy work in Mergers and Acquisition and Valuation Situations….even though the ICAI and the Companies Act has directives that should be followed and practises so as to not create any Conflict of Interest in Auditors,these firms find a way out by routing business other than audit to other front or related and friendly firms…as this is widely practised by most firms in this competitive era,the ICAI is not a very strict enforcer of directives and guidelines….this strengthens and makes for a compelling case for the government to intervene and set up a seperate legal body to conduct Audits or create a Regulatory Body for Auditors.In fact the New Amendments to the Companies Act will involve stricter and more stringent compliance by Auditors and Directors read more

    Finally Satyam’s Raju resigns shockingly admitting a massive Fraud and share price sinks from Rs 175 to Rs 50 this morning,murdering Shareholders and Capital Markets in one stroke !!!

    I had told you Satyam’s Chairman Ramalinga Raju was actually Ravana and he was a goner…just read my blogs of December 17,2008 and December 19,2008…..You cannot believe this guy…he’s got a history of hoodwinking…he bought Rajesh Jain’s Indiaworld for US $ 116 Million in 2000…this was a hogwash deal only to launder Money !

    Regulators Move in Now ,this very Minute, and freeze assets of Satyam to try and salvage something ! 

    This morning Raju resigned and blew the Satyam share price away from Rs 175 to Rs 50 after releasing a letter claiming that he had committed a fraud and had cooked the Satyam Books for Years…There are Fictitious Assets on the book and understated liabilities of over Rs 1200 crs…There is no Cash of Rs 5000 crores as shown in the Books

    This is an extremely sorry Day for Indian Capital Markets…..In one single Stroke,Raju has killed the Trust developed over years by Domestic and Overseas Investors in Indian Companies and their Promoters

    Satyam was one of the Three Bellweather IT Stocks along with Infosys and TCS and would you believe it ! …It seems to have been build on Lies and a Pack of Cards !

    Raju and Satyam, fooled and shocked all of us…he has made an all revealing Confession after he was cornered and had no place to hide

    • Investors and Shareholders
    • Bankers
    • Institutions
    • Employees
    • Auditors,Price WaterHouse
    • Independent and Non Executive Directors
    • Stock Exchanges in India and Overseas
    • Regulators….ICAI,SEBI,RBI,Ministry of Company Affairs
    • Media

    There is no doubt in my Mind that this is a CRIMINAL ACT and can be categorised as both an Acoounting Fraud and a Securities Fraud 

    Before any evidence is Destroyed,those responsible directly for this Fraud and those responsible for Dereliction of Duty in and out Satyam must be taken into custody

    What the Hell were the Independent and Non Executive Directors,Vinod Dham,Prof Krishna Palepu,Dr Rammohan Rao and Dr Mrs Srinivasan doing…sleeping !? What the hell were the Auditors Price Waterhouse and the Bankers doing !?….How could they show Cash in the Bank of over Rs 5000 crs in the Books when there was no cash at all ! Who valued the Maytas Deal at US $ 1.6 Billion ?…All their Big Reputations are finished in this unfolding sordid Satyam Drama

    The Audited Accounts signed by Price Waterhouse for the Half Year at September 30,2008 show cash of Rs 5700 crs and Debtors of over Rs 2000 crs and accrued Interest due from the Bank !……Now Raju claims most of this is fictitious…..How has Price Waterhouse signed without even 50% verification of major assets !

    Methinks Price Waterhouse are on the way of Arther Anderson who wound up after fouling up on Enron…atleast in India…One Mr Srinivas Talluri,Partner of Price Waterhouse,Hyderabad, has signed the Accounts….As on March 31,2008 the Balance Sheet Size was shown at Rs 7381 crs….this climbs past Rs 8000 crs at half year September 30,2008…Now Chairman,Raju confesses most of this is fictitious…With Equity at Rs 134 crores and 67 crores shares of Face Value of Rs 2 in existence it would mean a Book Value of @ Rs 120 !….But if all is fictitious,there is NO BOOK VALUE !….SHARE PRICE SHOULD THEN BE VEERING TOWARDS ZERO  read more

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