Simplo Technology officials questioned as witnesses in insider-trading probe

Simplo Technology Co (新普科技), the world's largest maker of laptop battery packs, said investigators visited the company's offices yesterday and questioned two executives as witnesses in an insider-trading case.

"They're investigating someone else, not us, over insider trading," chief financial officer Jackie Ting (丁惠敏) said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Ting and another member of the finance team were questioned. She declined to name the other person.

The investigation concerned last year's sale of Simplo shares to United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) and Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), Ting said.

Those two companies are not under investigations, she said.

"They told us they have suspicions about someone else and asked us to provide information and explain the process for issuing new shares,'' Ting said.

Simplo's board on May 2 last year approved the private placement of shares to UUMC and Quanta, she said.

Shares of Simplo fell 6.8 percent to NT$185.50 in Taipei, compared with a 0.8 percent gain in the TAIEX. The stock has more than doubled in the past 12 months as the company won orders from Dell Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co amid battery recalls at rivals, which boosted demand for its products.

UMC is the world's second-largest custom chipmaker and Quanta is the world's biggest maker of notebook PCs.

Quanta spokesman Jason Lin (林群傑) said the company hasn't been approached by investigators. UMC Alex Hinnawi also said his company hasn't been approached by investigators.