Managing the Risks of Corporate Fraud: The Evidence from Hong Kong and Singapore

35 Pages Posted: 7 May 2018 Last revised: 29 May 2018

See all articles by Wai Yee Wan

Wai Yee Wan

City University of Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Centre for Chinese & Comparative Law

Christopher C. Chen

National Taiwan University - College of Law

Chongwu Xia

Xiamen University - Institute for Financial and Accounting Studies

Say Hak Goo

The University of Hong Kong - Faculty of Law

Date Written: October 1, 2017

Abstract

Since the Asian financial crisis of 1997, Hong Kong and Singapore have implemented reforms that promote independence and monitoring competency of the boards of directors of their listed companies. However, with the advent of the financial crisis of 2007/2008, a wave of fraud cases prompts the question as to the effectiveness of these reforms. Analysing a sample of 62 listed companies which are found to have committed fraud between 2007 and 2014, and comparing against a matched sample of no-fraud companies, we find that the fraud companies tend to either combine the roles of chairman and chief executive officer (or they are close family members) and have fewer non-accounting finance experts on their boards. They are also likely to be overseas mainland Chinese firms. Analysing the specific case studies of fraud, the reasons for the lack of effectiveness in the independent directors in preventing fraud are likely due to the difficulties in obtaining access to information in approving conflicted transactions, low threat of enforcement actions, their incentives to side with controlling shareholders and the challenges in regulating foreign listings.

Keywords: corporate fraud, independent directors, corporate governance, foreign listings

JEL Classification: K22

Suggested Citation

Wan, Wai Yee and Chen, Christopher Chao-hung and Xia, Chongwu and Goo, Say Hak, Managing the Risks of Corporate Fraud: The Evidence from Hong Kong and Singapore (October 1, 2017). Forthcoming, Honk Kong Law Journal, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 2018/020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3165829

Wai Yee Wan (Contact Author)

City University of Hong Kong ( email )

83 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon
Hong Kong

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) - Centre for Chinese & Comparative Law ( email )

83 Tat Chee Avenue
Room P5300, 5th Floor, Academic 1
Kowloon Tong
Hong Kong

Christopher Chao-hung Chen

National Taiwan University - College of Law ( email )

No.1, Sec.4, Roosevelt Road
Taipei, 10617, 10617
Taiwan

Chongwu Xia

Xiamen University - Institute for Financial and Accounting Studies ( email )

Xiamen, Fujian 361005
China

Say Hak Goo

The University of Hong Kong - Faculty of Law ( email )

Pokfulam Road
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
China

HOME PAGE: http://hub.hku.hk/rp/rp01248

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