Response to the following problem:
Diebold, Inc., a public company, is a maker of ATMs, bank security systems, and electronic voting machines. Research how Diebold accounted for liability accruals and capitalized expenses ("Division 35 and CAP 250") to overstate income in the years 2002 to 2005. Also, research for legal actions against Diebold and its officers. Possible sources of information on these issues include websites for Diebold, the SEC, and various news stories in the business press.
Required:
Write a brief memo describing
(a) Diebold's accounting for accrued liabilities and capitalized expenses,
(b) what the auditors could have done differently to identify the misstatements in the earlier years of the fraud, and
(c) the results of the SEC's and other legal actions against the company and the executives.