Enron Examiner Wants to Sever Case Ties

HOUSTON -- The court-appointed bankruptcy examiner in the massive Enron Corp. case now wants to sever his ties with the proceeding after 18 months and has reportedly requested immunity from subpoenas, permission to shred documents he has collected and protection from liability, The Associated Press reported.

The company, its creditors committee and several other parties have objected to Neal Batson's request, which they describe as out of the ordinary.

Batson, in his lengthy final report, has blamed top company executives as well as former directors, accountants, attorneys and some large investment banks for the energy trading firm's financial collapse in late 2001. Plaintiffs in class-action lawsuits want Batson to be available for subpoena because he could potentially be an important witness as a result of his reports.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez was scheduled to hear arguments in the case Thursday, according to the Houston Chronicle's Thursday editions.

-- NYSSCPA.org News Staff

Posted on 12/4/03