EMS/Hong
Kong update - ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide statement
Further
to the update issued on Sunday
10th March, concerning the investigations into EMS, the sourcing
agency that formerly acted on behalf of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide as one of
its agents in Hong Kong, The ICAC (Independent Commission Against
Corruption) has today brought charges against Jeff Taylor.
Jeffrey
Everard Taylor (41) has been charged with conspiracy with Sydney
Edels and Daniel Berman, directors of EMS and EMS Asia, to defraud
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide. He will appear in court in Hong Kong on Monday 18th
March.
Jeff
Taylor was formerly an employee of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide, but was dismissed
on 13 December 2001 on grounds of breaching the companyÂ’s employment
policy on Conflict of Interests. That decision did not reflect or
pre-judge any outcome of the ICAC investigation in Hong Kong.
In
the information update of 10th March we announced that
·
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide has commenced legal action against Eurasia Management
Services Limited (EMS), EMS Asia Limited (EMS Asia), Daniel Berman
and Sydney Edels and will be seeking damages and/or recovery of
any losses that ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide may have suffered as a result of alleged
frauds that occurred between July 1999 and October 2001. This legal
action was lodged in court in London on 27th February 2002.
·
Separately, on 27th February, Hong KongÂ’s Independent Commission
Against Corruption (ICAC) brought fraud charges against Daniel Jonathan
Berman, and Sydney Edels, directors of Eurasia Management Services
Limited (EMS) and EMS Asia Limited (EMS Asia). They appeared in
court on Friday 1st March and the case has been adjourned until
later this month.
·
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide Chief Executive, Rupert Gavin, said in the update
of 10th March: "We welcome the fact that the investigations
have now resulted in charges. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide has been cooperating
fully with the ICAC and we have been keeping them abreast of the
key findings from our own extensive internal investigations. We
have initiated our own civil action against EMS but given impending
legal proceedings, we clearly cannot make any further comment at
this stage."
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