$HPQ Says the U.K. Fraud Office Has Opened an Investigation into Autonomy

“The U.K. Serious Fraud Office has opened an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by managers at Autonomy Corp., the software maker acquired and later written down by Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ)

The SFO informed Hewlett-Packard of the investigation Feb. 6, and follows the U.S. Justice Department in probing Autonomy, Palo Alto, California-based Hewlett-Packard said in a filingyesterday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mike Lynch, Autonomy’s founder and former chief executive officer, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

Hewlett-Packard last year accused Autonomy managers of misrepresenting results before selling the company for $10.3 billion in 2011. The writedown and faltering performance of the acquisition are complicating efforts by Chief Executive OfficerMeg Whitman to revive growth after years of botched deals, management tumult and diminishing demand for personal computers.

“As a result of the findings of an ongoing investigation, HP has provided information to the U.K. Serious Fraud Office, the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC related to the accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and misrepresentations at Autonomy that occurred prior to and in connection with HP’s acquisition,” Hewlett-Packard said….”

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