Guanghua School of Management
In November 2017, 91 partners of the auditor KPMG faced contempt proceedings in Hong Kong High Court, as CMED liquidators took action against KPMG with regard to its refusal honor a February 2016 court order to produce Chinese working papers, correspondence, and records to the liquidators. The liquidators are asking that 91 defendants be held in contempt of court, which could result in criminal penalties, or weekly fines. KPMG had issued written audit reports for CMED from 2003 to 2008, and was replaced by PwC Zhong Tian in August 2009. “Perhaps locking up 91 KPMG partners over Christmas may spur the firms to find a solution to this problem”, said Professor Paul Gillis of Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management.