Serrano to conduct review, audit over allegations

Nisha Ramchandani

Nisha Ramchandani

Published Thu, Sep 26, 2019 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

CATALIST-LISTED interior designer Serrano has identified an accounting firm to perform an independent review after it was made aware of allegations of improprieties and concerns relating to transactions, businesses as well as possibly conduct of management.

These allegations relate to the group's old business before the schemes of arrangement to restructure group debt.

In a filing to the Singapore Exchange on Thursday, Serrano said it targets to finalise the scope of work and appoint the independent review firm within the next 30 days, with the firm expected to complete its work within 60 days of being appointed. Over the next three months, the company will be conducting a comprehensive internal audit that will cover internal controls relating to financial, operational, compliance, information technology and risk management systems.

The internal audit is slated to be completed within the next three months, after which the internal auditor will issue a report.

Meanwhile, Serrano intends to submit a revised resumption of trading proposal within the next three months following the completion of the independent review and internal audit.

It will also prepare a business viability and a going concern assessment as part of the revised resumption proposal. The company may be delisted from the Catalist board if it fails to submit the revised resumption proposal within the next three months.

Trading in Serrano's shares has been suspended since June 2017, after the company and a subsidiary went under schemes of arrangement to restructure group debt.