Dutch shareholders’ association VEB has sued
Deloitte and 178 former and current partners over alleged
wrongdoing in Ahold accounting scandal.
The fraud emerged when the Dutch retailer
revealed in 2003 that its profit had been inflated by more than
£800m.
The shareholder association has now accused
Deloitte, Ahold’s auditor when the fraud took place, of issuing
misleading opinions on the company’s financial statements.
“The VEB will press for compensation for
affected investors. The exact damage still needs to be established.
The total damage in the Ahold case amounted to many billions,” VEB
said.
The Big Four firm said the fraud was partly
intended to deceive Deloitte as auditor. “Several courts, including
the Dutch criminal court, confirmed that over the years. Deloitte
itself denounced the fraud,” Deloitte said.
Ahold is the owner of Albert Heijn, Holland’s
biggest supermarket chain.
