The Audit Committee (“AC”) noted that the agreed upon procedures (“AUP”) report had stated the following (see the announcement on Update On Independent Review Into The Losses Suffered By The Group released via SGXNET to SGX-ST on 18 September 2015):
a. although Bohai Bank in Jinan City had in their written bank confirmation received by post, confirmed that the Group's bank balance as at 30 June 2015 was RMB 335 million (which was in the form of pledged time deposits), Bohai Bank's confirmation did not indicate whether there were any banking facilities granted to the Group and whether the Group had used any banking facilities by 30 June 2015;
b. on the other hand, Management had advised that the RMB 335 million in time deposits in Bohai Bank had been pledged for banking facilities of an equivalent amount, and such arrangement was made for the Group to apply for letters of credit, when necessary, for the purpose of overseas procurement of soybeans. However, the banking facilities were not utilised as the Group had suspended the importation of soybeans;
c. as a result, during the course of the AUP, there was a proposal to conduct a second visit to Bohai Bank to further seek clarification from Bohai Bank regarding the banking facilities, and also to obtain the bank statements from the bank on the spot, which was not achieved during the first visit to Bohai Bank due to a lack of sufficient authorisation documents required by the bank. However, Management took the view that a second visit to Bohai Bank was not necessary as the banking facilities were not utilised because the Group had suspended the importation of soybeans.
Although Management had advised that the Group’s borrowings and debt securities were “NIL” as at 30 September 2015, the AC noted that there has not been sufficient independent verification to confirm that the Group did not utilise the banking facilities (of up to RMB 335 million) granted by Bohai Bank against the RMB 335 million in pledged time deposits at the said bank. The AC will direct the external auditors to pay special attention to this Bohai bank account during the year-end audit.
3Q2015
http://infopub.sgx.com/FileOpen/UFood%20...eID=378383