Nvidia execs forced to certify accounts

GRAPHICS CHIP COMPANY NVIDIA has had to review any filings it made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this year and certify that there were no irregularities after receiving a request to do so from the body.

In a statement, Nvidia says Chief Executive Officer, Jen-Hsun Huang, and Chief Financial Officer, Mary Dotz, signed and filed statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) certifying filings made by NVIDIA with the SEC in 2002.

The company had until September 11th to make the declaration following requests for certification from the SEC.

Earlier this year, the SEC launched an investigation into the company's reporting of some accounts which may have inflated the company's share price artificially. This followed allegations of insider dealing by some employees at the company.

Now, Nvidia says it received a letter dated August 15, 2002 from the Corporation Finance Division of the SEC containing comments on Nvidia's filing for fiscal 2002 and for the quarter ended April 28, 2002. The SEC said its Division of Enforcement had "commenced an investigation regarding certain matters which may be related to the Company."

For its part, Nvidia says it is "in the process of responding" to the comments in the letter "on a timely basis" and expects its officers to file an amended certification after it and the Division have addressed the questions raised by the comments. µ