Ankiti Bose, the sacked CEO and co-founder of Singapore-based Zilingo, said, she wasn’t even heard before being handed the pink slip. The 30-year-old said she wasn’t given a change to counter the allegations made against her.
Bose told ET there is more to “allegations, suspension and termination saga” that played out in the media over the last few months. She said she will keep all options open specifically stating that she will seek legal recourse.
She said the fact that she wasn’t given a chance to clarify her position or sought answers for alleged financial irregularities in company accounts, makes it clear that the process was vitiated.
“How can you do an investigation without all my answers? All the financial questions are very easily answered. The company has an extensive finance team, a group finance director, a Big-4 auditor and a Big-4 advisor, but no one else is being asked any questions. I have told them I would like to answer the allegations but I haven’t got that chance yet. I’m quite confused about the process so far,” she told ET.
On March 31, Bose was placed under suspension following complaints of alleged discrepancies in the company accounts.
“Following an investigation led by an independent forensics firm that was commissioned to look into complaints of serious financial irregularities, the company has decided to terminate Ankiti Bose’s employment with cause, and reserves the right to pursue appropriate legal action,” Zilingo said in a statement.
The firm, however, did not elaborate on the allegations against Bose or the findings of the audit.
It said Bose made certain harassment-related allegations only after she was suspended on March 31, and an investigation has concluded that the firm took appropriate action.
“On April 11th, after her suspension on March 31, Ankiti Bose brought to the board’s attention, for the first time, certain harassment-related issues pertaining to past time periods, which did not include any harassment complaints against investors or their nominees,” it said.
Bose said she was fired before being shown the complaints against her
