Neteller今天早上发布的新闻。
6 ?! |% ~7 o! w& S) c$ n R大约5千5百万资金被冻结或者不能处理。: N: g4 o6 C1 I* B3 Z8 [; J
这个数目不小。2 r; V$ ]6 Q2 y' }7 t" `
: K1 ^2 Q) M$ H2 L& S2008-02-08. \! e Q) a) R( N4 D! k
6 q( t' G" _. H6 E& V4 Z
NETELLER Works to Return Funds to US Customers After US Withdrawal
8 K/ c! J2 K. w+ k" I" J- W
9 j( a6 N! P# ]8 K7 \+ pNETELLER Plc (LSE: NLR), the leading global independent online money transfer$ I$ g. {" o( ^' Q" {, b# Z2 [
business, today issued the following update with regard to its US business and
0 O! L5 a( ` B1 C4 q N' Icriminal charges against two of its founders.
) o0 K( p7 L. m( T& E7 x/ u7 l$ F4 r
On 19 January 2007, at the request of the Group, the Group's legal advisers met
* z2 `8 U- H* C, w1 hwith representatives of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern* x4 k5 @, M) ~0 F1 L( |( G1 B
District of New York ("USAO") to clarify the Group's position with respect to
+ T q/ j$ ^! E( _ y$ C/ ?the complaints brought on 16 January 2007 against two of the Group's founders,
9 T1 \) t) T# nMr. Stephen Lawrence and Mr. John Lefebvre. Neither are current employees or2 R/ H1 k$ K0 k& H+ N" l7 [
directors of NETELLER. In that meeting, the Group pledged to cooperate with the, D, n. }5 p: Z" l) y" m' z5 E+ t% s" g
USAO, indicated it was prepared to begin document production promptly and, W* t: I& j4 F6 [' v. M1 w
discussed a potential mechanism for arranging an orderly repayment of funds to
! y Y9 D$ l! uUS customers.. O9 Q9 N2 O8 y# ~% R
& I7 Q4 e' @: h; Y
The discussions between the Group's legal advisers and the USAO are ongoing. The
" g/ M, t8 @& K D8 [* g2 \: WGroup is, under advice of its legal advisers, commencing production of documents0 x0 {9 D1 q& K6 q: `
and intends to cooperate with the USAO in its investigation.8 u; h$ _' a& }
" Z) t- q8 L; d6 F- ~7 LFollowing upon the complaints dated 16 January 2007, banks in the US began
; u$ U" y0 _+ K2 K/ n, Kdeclining to permit transactions involving the Group through accounts maintained+ ^1 \( o h1 C \2 @7 _
at one or more automated clearinghouses in the United States. Additionally, the
5 r. w% C- l* X4 H! s8 A- YGroup has been advised that the USAO has obtained court-ordered seizure warrants( S3 [2 [ T- M7 m6 x
seizing funds pertaining to the Group's transactions. To the best of the Group's
( o% \, a4 B2 o' c- Sknowledge, it believes that the amount of funds seized by the USAO or otherwise' z) u" \# K7 [, b. _' `3 Q9 F
restricted by third parties does not exceed US $55 million. These funds were
6 T6 g* Q7 C+ J' P" Vlargely in the process of being transferred from the Group to its US customers& J$ v3 H8 s7 o8 t8 h. U9 K
or vice versa., f& M4 L' h# l, N3 P, ~5 C
4 C1 A* g! H/ [0 K2 {As a result of the restrictions placed by third parties, court-ordered seizures,8 `- s. g& Z/ Q" W
and related legal concerns, the Group is currently unable to make payments to US1 k M" s' ]4 ^% H2 K3 b, _" S _
customers. Nevertheless, the Group is in discussions with the USAO to manage an' f$ A* z% [7 }" b
orderly return of funds to US customers. As part of these discussions, it is: d* M7 E- e F7 a7 o
contemplated that the USAO will engage a forensic accounting firm, at the4 x [& E# T; `- W8 O" J2 l
Group's expense, to assist in this process and to examine the Group's financial
* g. u2 P) j( }' Zposition. "The return of funds to our US customers is a top priority for
( T9 _1 A8 n0 y2 I. y% INETELLER" said Ron Martin, Group President and CEO. US customers wishing to4 R5 Y2 l* r( c' e% `! U
withdraw funds from their NETELLER e-wallet accounts will experience ongoing0 ^9 r$ D$ F1 d& c
delays while these discussions continue, and a further update will be provided6 p [6 U$ t* ?2 N) F; m$ I& \3 t
by the Group once effective repayment mechanisms are determined.: M- Y$ ?4 g' O2 r
$ E) j7 j: v7 i2 d i' oTo the Group's knowledge, no criminal action or proceeding has been brought7 j( g$ J# [4 z$ `9 w$ ~. e0 o1 S
against the Group, its current officers or directors by the USAO. Nevertheless,
z6 K6 Y( L8 l" }# G, F1 E3 Sthere can be no assurance that the Group will not be charged in a criminal. f4 ]- `5 O# ], x5 }4 j2 z( G
action at some subsequent time. The Group intends to work with the USAO to seek
/ K$ a* t: L; n3 s- `+ Ja negotiated resolution of any allegations relating to its US activities. Any' E' I9 m1 h& ?2 y9 v9 P! R0 l: t: X
resolution of this matter may lead to potential sanctions against the Group3 c b/ T1 H9 z; W' m8 h
including material financial penalties, fines and forfeitures.9 s1 I1 e9 e, P
0 v% |6 R0 ^6 g3 hIt is emphasized that in line with the Group's standard business practices for
" l7 B" z. B6 S4 h m* m$ b" Z# Call customers, funds held by the Group for US customers are held in segregated5 j+ V) A! b$ Z2 m% S* n% J2 g
trust accounts. The Group's own cash position remains strong and the Group: {! o( q4 b$ l( y
currently has sufficient working capital to fund all its customers' balances as
0 N3 f5 _1 C- b$ `9 pwell as ongoing requirements of the business.
m9 m+ y+ ]/ j
6 T, p% |8 | T% b% V" kNETELLER remains committed to developing its business in line with its stated
# n* b' I# D9 Kstrategic objectives including geographical and product diversification for all
4 m0 i% V, F! U6 a( _; s8 ~2 Xmarkets. The Group will focus on its continuing business and the opportunities
$ A7 |4 {' X0 [, B+ ~available in the growing markets of Europe, Asia and the Americas outside of the
5 V1 M* w- ?/ A, W3 m( HUnited States. Since the Group's withdrawal from the US market on 18 January& ?+ f. X% v I7 _& \- T
2007, average daily new account sign-ups of new customers from non-US markets' M) M! x. H, O) Z4 e
has been around 1,400. This compares to average daily sign ups of 3,303 for the7 v5 ?; p8 K: }/ O3 T. J
year to 31 December 2006. Daily fee revenue since 18 January 2007 has averaged
! f! K; G2 j9 Y. Dover US$ 200,000 per day (excluding any revenues from Netbanx, 1-Pay and" d( _& s" y/ P' J
interest income). These metrics demonstrate the resilience of the Group's: k7 | K' J9 T
ongoing business. NETELLER customers not resident in the US continue to be2 }3 s! d) R) a; _/ g/ }# v2 o+ }
minimally affected by this withdrawal from the US market.
- p; b G, h5 l5 `9 K
5 u% S& R7 s3 ]5 Q2 l7 oIn view of the continuing uncertainty, the Group's shares will continue to be
' ]( m7 t4 [" _4 f3 q* _0 Gsuspended from trading on AIM for the time being. Further announcements will be2 O) E) F' ~& P B7 }9 I
made as appropriate.7 A) w! T/ V, n6 S! }2 H2 F
: y0 b3 W+ @9 u$ n1 V; n d; r! [) c
! f9 J& Q! U+ c( J9 ~
$ H' R' G2 A; E- E+ K/ N0 t( KEnquiries:7 S! L9 r6 d9 i
0 l" w8 @7 n1 S
Citigate Dewe Rogerson + 44 (0) 207 638 9571
- g, D1 O" {# ASarah Gestetner/Sebastian Hoyle/George Cazenove
