HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Following the trouble surrounding cases of theft and fraud at the Hamburg copper group Aurubis, the actions of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board are not yet to be approved at the upcoming Annual General Meeting. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board are proposing to postpone the resolution on the discharge of the members of both boards, as can be seen from the invitation to the online shareholders' meeting on February 15 published on Friday. "The background to this is the ongoing investigations into the criminal activities directed against the company, which have led to shortfalls in precious metals."

Aurubis was the victim of large-scale fraud last year. The bottom line is a shortfall in valuable metals worth 169 million euros. In one case, manipulated samples with high levels of valuable metals were submitted, but the deliveries contained significantly less of them. As a result, over-invoices were ultimately paid. In addition, however, there is another - according to the annual report "not fully comprehensible" - shortfall in precious metals in the low three-digit million euro range.

The problems could still have consequences for the Aurubis Executive Board. "The Supervisory Board cannot currently rule out the possibility that the current Executive Board members will continue in office unchanged, nor can it rule out the premature separation of individual or several Executive Board members or the restructuring of the Executive Board," the company announced shortly before presenting its figures in December.

However, the results of an investigation by the law firm Hengeler Mueller are to be awaited first. A decision is expected to be made in January or early February, it was reported before Christmas.

When asked in December, Aurubis CEO Roland Harings did not want to comment explicitly on his own future at the helm of Aurubis. He stated his personal expectation "that the investigations will show that we have managed the company with all due diligence and responsibility." /mis/stw/he