CRYPTOLOGIC DISPUTE REPORTED BY F.T. (Update)

27 February 2009

Aziz accused of making repeated threats and demands for money when in charge at Crypto

 

The dispute between online gambling software provider Cryptologic and its erstwhile CEO Javaid Aziz (see previous InfoPowa reports) made it into the pages of the venerable UK business newspaper The Financial Times this week.

The newspaper reported on the events leading up to the latest rejection by Cryptologic of Aziz's demands for an extraordinary general meeting and a presence on the board, and commented that Aziz has been trying to re-establish a foothold to control the company after his departure last year from the CEO position.

The report claims that Aziz has been trying to have the Cryptologic group's chairman removed, and that he is campaigning for a change in company strategy.

The Financial Times notes that in a sign of the intensifying hostilities between the two parties, CryptoLogic has accused Aziz of “inappropriate conduct” during his brief tenure at the company. Stephen Taylor, chief financial officer, said Aziz made repeated demands for money and threats to sue while he was at the helm.

Aziz has dismissed the attack as an attempt to distract shareholders from what he alleges is a problem of corporate governance at the company.

The former CEO said he never asked for money and that his grievance was over the strike price of the share options that he was granted. He said they were artificially high and were based on what he believed was a misrepresentation of the company’s financial situation at the time when he was hired – allegations that CryptoLogic denied.

CryptoLogic also questioned whether Aziz was fit to join the board and released copies of e-mails he had sent threatening to go public with allegations that the company had been “blatantly lying” about the impact of the Dutch government’s decision not to allow Holland Casino to launch an online gaming site.

Earlier this week Cryptologic revealed that it was seeking legal advice with a view to a possible action against Aziz.    

Online Casino News Courtesy of Infopowa

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