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Fraser Perring
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HANNAH MCKAY / REUTERS
Short seller Fraser Perring is putting pressure on the financial regulator Bafin in the affair of the financial group Grenke.
In an email sent to SPIEGEL, the Briton asked the authorities to use watchdogs at Grenke AG and Grenke Bank in order to better monitor the group.
The resignation of long-standing board member Mark Kindermann a few days ago is "a clear attempt to slow down or stop the special investigation at Grenke," according to a new analysis by Perring's company Viceroy.
The Bafin must put the board of directors and the supervisory board in front of the door.
Perring accuses Grenke, among other things, of accounting fraud.
The leasing specialist has also concealed relationships with companies that are personally linked to Grenke (»Related Parties«).
The shortseller first made his allegations public last September.
With his company Viceroy, he speculates on falling prices by borrowing shares, selling them, later - if the bet goes well - stocking up at lower prices and taking the difference as a profit.
The Bafin is under pressure because it embarrassed itself in the Wirecard scandal.
In autumn, she responded quickly to Perring's allegations and commissioned the Mazars audit firm to carry out a special investigation.
Grenke himself commissioned an audit from KPMG.
State Secretary Kukies intervenes
According to the supervisory board, Kindermann - a long-time companion of the company founder Wolfgang Grenke, who was attacked by Perring - resigned under pressure from Bafin.
Grenke rejects the fact that one does not cooperate in dealing with the allegations as "absurd".
The company also stated that the previous Bafin findings did not affect the Group's balance sheet and earnings.
Only the publication of the annual report will show whether it stays that way.
Grenke expressly does not specify a date for the publication of the balance sheet.
When and with what numbers Grenke goes public depends on the outcome of the KPMG investigation.
KPMG is also the auditor of Grenke.
Because the matter is explosive for financial supervision, Finance State Secretary and Bafin Board Chairman Jörg Kukies has intervened in the conflict: He initiated a phone call between Perring and Raimund Röseler, head of Bafin banking supervision, which took place on Thursday.
"We had a constructive conversation," said Perring.
He was able to express his concerns and the Bafin had given assurances that his information would be passed on to the special auditors of Mazar.
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