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Here’s why the audit watchdog hit Deloitte with a record £21m fine for Autonomy audit

'If Deloitte had required Autonomy to present the truth surrounding its pure hardware sales to the market, there would have been a significant effect on the market'

Deloitte and former partners Richard Knights and Nigel Mercer were culpable of serious and serial failures in their audit of Autonomy, the 6 January report from the audit watchdog said
Deloitte and former partners Richard Knights and Nigel Mercer were culpable of serious and serial failures in their audit of Autonomy, the 6 January report from the audit watchdog said Photo: Getty Images

Deloitte's conduct during its audit of Autonomy allowed the software firm “to present a misleading picture of its financial position”, the audit watchdog said.

In its full 270-page report on the Big Four accounting firm's record £21m sanction for its audit, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), details the reasons for Deloitte’s record £15m fine and £5.6m in costs which was handed down by a disciplinary tribunal in September.

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