New Delhi: Markets watchdog Sebi is mulling getting a forensic examination done on financial statements and disclosures made by ICICI Bank in last few years amid a controversy over alleged conflict of interest involving the lender's CEO Chanda Kochhar and her husband.
According to top officials, the capital markets regulator will also consult the RBI on the matter to avoid any intra-regulatory jurisdiction issues.
The forensic examination will focus on various disclosures made by the top private sector bank over the last few years, vis-a-vis the clarifications submitted by ICICI Bank to the stock exchanges in reply to queries made in the backdrop of a controversy regarding certain loans extended as part of a consortium to Videocon.
Officials said the examination will also cover the disclosures made at the time of Ms Kochhar being appointed as CEO and Managing Director of the bank for the first time in 2009.
If required, Sebi will also seek details from the bank regarding various business dealings involving its top officials including Ms Kochhar to look into alleged conflict of interest.
Sebi has been looking into the matter for any possible disclosure and corporate governance-related lapses at ICICI Bank, but has not come across any concrete proof so far, the officials said.
A probe by RBI in 2016 also did not find any ‘quid pro quo’ vis-a-vis ICICI Bank with regard to the loan extended to Videocon by the consortium which had the private sector lender as ‘a small member’, they added.
ICICI Bank landed in the controversy following allegations about a '3,250 crore loan to Videocon Group, whose chairman Venugopal Dhoot has been accused of having business dealings with NuPower Renewables, operated by Ms Kochhar’s husband.
Besides, questions have been raised about Avista Advisory, run by Chanda’s brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar, having advised some clients of ICICI Bank.
The bank however has denied all these allegations and its board has strongly defended the chief executive saying it has full faith and confidence in Ms Kochhar.
Since RBI had already looked into the matter in 2016 and found no wrongdoing, the bank and its board members have been exuding confidence that the company would get out of the controversy uscathed.
