Five Chinese employees of the Beijing office of US audit firm Mintz Group have been arrested by Chinese authorities, the group said on Friday.
"
Chinese authorities have arrested the five employees of the Beijing office of Mintz Group, all of Chinese nationality, and have closed our operations there
," the company said in a statement to AFP.
Fraud Investigation Company
The company assures that it "
has not received any official notice of legal proceedings
" against it, and has "
asked the authorities to release its employees
".
She says she called on lawyers to "
dialogue with the authorities and help (her) employees and their families
".
“
We have always worked transparently, ethically and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations
” in China, the company said, adding that it would work with the authorities to “
resolve any misunderstandings that may have led to these events
”.
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Mintz Group, headquartered in New York, is a firm specializing in the investigation of allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in the workplace, as well as background checks.
It has 18 offices in total, including in Washington.
On its website, Mintz Group states that its employees "
dig deep into the questions that concern our customers -- from the presidential palace to the offshore oil platform
".