Annex T
Letter to Mr M Fishman, Joint Administrator,
Arthur Andersen,
from Mr Mark A Fisher, National Westminster
Bank
AGB INTERNATIONAL
PLC
(FORMERLY
PERGAMON
AGB PLC)—CHEQUE
NO:
1751 FOR
£200,000
Bernard Horn is currently on leave and has asked
me to respond to your enquiry regarding the above. I apologise
for the delay in responding but I am sure you will appreciate
the difficulties inherent in researching an entry after so long
a period of time.
I can confirm that cheque number 1751 was debited
to the account of Pergamon AGB plc, number 04203607 on 11 December
1990 in the amount of £200,000 as suggested by your query.
The cheque was paid in at our Tavistock Square Branch but we have
no way now of identifying the account into which it was paid.
Our normal retention policy would not maintain items
in storage from this date. Furthermore, we have confirmed that
the account in question was a 'voucher account' meaning that paid
cheques should have been returned to the account holder with the
relevant statement. Nevertheless, my staff have carried out a
careful manual search of the various storage premises where such
an item could possibly be found if it indeed was still held by
us. We have not been able to find it.
We have also explored the possibility of tracing
the item through our electronic audit trails. Once again our date
retention policies mean that we do not have a complete electronic
trail for this period. However, we do have a partial trail and
I have put in place a systems change to prevent further data being
deleted for the time being.
Our reconstruction of the credit clearing is inconclusive.
We have identified that a credit for £200,000 was remitted
to our Birmingham City Office from Tavistock Square Branch through
the clearing system on the date in question. The credit in question
did not carry account details within our system which indicates
that it was hand-written counter credit. I have searched our remaining
records for Birmingham City Office but have been unable to identify
the account to which this entry was placed. I must stress that
this credit may be completely unrelated to the cheque which is
the subject of your enquiry.
I hope that the above will be of some assistance
to you.
31 March 1999
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