A group of Enron investors have managed to squeeze $2 billion out of Citigroup as it agreed to pay this amount to settle a lawsuit. Citigroup along with several other banks, was accused of having a role in a big accounting fraud scandal at Enron.
Citigroup is no stranger to paying huge amounts of money to settle lawsuits. Before, the company agreed to pay $2.58 billion to investors in relation to a scandal involving WorldCom.
The case is one of an unprecedented blizzard of claims and charges stemming from the Enron collapse in 2001. Former Enron executives Jeffrey K. Skilling and Kenneth L. Lay are awaiting criminal trials on fraud and conspiracy charges.
The Arthur Andersen accounting firm all but went out of business after it was convicted of complicity in the Enron case, a conviction reversed this month by the U.S. Supreme Court because of flawed jury instructions.
Investors led by the University of California filed lawsuits about 3 years ago against Citigroup and several other banks, accusing them of being involved in the Enron scandal.
“We are very pleased with the size of the settlement,” said William Lerach, the lawyer representing University of California investors. “It’s particularly significant in that several large, similarly situated banks remain as defendants in the case, so this is a step down the road, not the last step on the road.”
J.P. Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse First Boston and Goldman Sachs are among the banks that have yet to settle with the investors. They may be feeling more pressure to do so now.
Chris is a staff writer for murdok. Visit murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
