Abu Dhabi, Feb 17: NMC Health Plc, a hospital operator targeted by short-seller Muddy Waters, said founder Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty resigned amid investor concern he faced a margin call and misrepresented his stake.
The board asked for Co-Chairman Shetty’s resignation and it takes effect immediately, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. NMC has lost four board members since Friday, including Vice Chairman Khaleefa Butti, whose holdings are also being probed. The stock, the worst performer on the FTSE-100 Index this year, fell as much as 9.2 percent Monday morning and then rebounded.
“The resignation of senior board members should be viewed positively,” said Abdulla Nahlawi, an analyst at Rasmala Investment Bank in Dubai. “The credibility of the current board has been jeopardized with the unfolding of the recent events.”
NMC shares lost almost half their value the first week of February on speculation the company’s main investors faced a margin call, in which banks seize shares pledged as collateral. NMC said Friday that First Abu Dhabi Bank and Al Salam Bank Bahrain obtained 20 million shares in the company from BRS International Holding, an investment vehicle of NMC’s top shareholders. The banks sold more than 8 million of those shares as “enforcement of security,” NMC said.
NMC operates the largest medical network in the United Arab Emirates and in 2012 became the first Abu Dhabi company to list in London. The shares started teetering in mid-December when Muddy Waters alleged that NMC manipulated its balance sheet and inflated the prices of companies it acquired.
Shetty, 77, was born in India and founded NMC in the 1970s after moving to Abu Dhabi. His spokesman said a legal review of the situation is ongoing and declined further comment.
Chief Investment Officer Hani Buttikhi and board member Abdulrahman Basaddiq also stepped down because they were appointees of Shetty and Butti, NMC said, adding that they had no knowledge of the share transfers.
Questions remain over the role of Shetty’s family at the company. His wife and son-in-law both hold roles in senior management.
Almost 10 per cent of NMC’s freely traded shares are shorted, according to Markit Securities data. In mid-December about a third of them were.
Last week GKSD Investment, an investment company backed by hospital investors, said it’s studying a possible offer for NMC. Under U.K. takeover rules, it has until March 9 to make a bid.
NMC has said Muddy Waters’s claims are false and the company hired former FBI Director Louis Freeh to conduct an independent review. The review is due to be completed before the company issues its financial results in March, the person said.
NMC said Mark Tompkins will continue as the company’s sole chairman.
Comments
What about Vinayaka Baliga murder and prashant pojari, why BJP carry pic's of these people they also Hindus
Janane ijji marre!
Wow..How many bhakt..!
BJP govt did many worst things to people. Still why these people blindly following BJP
For we Hindus what do we have for follow and
What do we have to preach and propagate. Christianity and Islam have something truth with science.
So their strength is growing. Not only that many outsiders are attracted towards them.
We Hindus don’t have anything to sell.
It is the time, we should focus to know why is it so.
if this trend continues, a day is imminent, where not only we, all false religion will be vanished.
Be careful next century it will not be Hindu Rashtra, It may be Non Hindu Rashtra.
Howe It can be Hindu Rashtra, when our people are attacking and killing all non-Hindus.
No one Hindu may remain. God Knows.
This much people sold their brain to BJP leaders
Joke of the year..
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