Zhiguo Fu, Chairman of Advanced
Battery Technologies, Inc. ABAT, today issued the following letter to
the shareholders of ABAT:
"Fellow Shareholders:
"Since March 2011 ABAT has been afflicted by the concerted actions of a group
of short sellers. After establishing short positions on our shares, they
published a series of articles making allegations of misconduct by ABAT's
management that were fabrications and distortions. The result was a great loss
of value to the majority of ABAT's shareholders, which was compounded when the
class action bar filed lawsuits against us based again on the same sophistic
allegations. Unfortunately, NASDAQ chose to abet this conduct by initiating an
investigation based on the short seller allegations. When NASDAQ inquired
regarding the allegations, we provided complete detailed rebuttals, and NASDAQ
has not made further inquiry regarding any of the short seller allegations.
"At the end of the summer, however, as stories circulated regarding collusion
between a small number of Chinese companies and their bankers, NASDAQ decided
that, solely because we are Chinese, we should be required to provide an
extraordinary level of confirmation from our banks. Despite the lack of any
evidence of wrong-doing on our part, NASDAQ insisted that we approach our
banks, inform them that our U.S. regulators consider them untrustworthy, and
ask them to permit our auditors to "look over their shoulders," as it were,
while they prepare bank confirmations. Initially NASDAQ insisted that this
degrading procedure be conducted at the highest level of the bank. After we
obtained written refusals from each of our banks, NASDAQ agreed to have the
process carried out at our local bank branches.
"Unfortunately, on the same day that NASDAQ made this concession, our Chief
Financial Officer, who had headed our accounting and finance operations since
we formed the company in 2002, resigned. The pressure brought by the short
sellers, class actions and regulators caused her to decide she should devote
her time to ailing members of her family. Her resignation was immediately
followed by that of our Controller. I myself have had to seek medical
assistance for the effects on my health of this assault on our integrity and
our efforts at being good U.S. corporate citizens. And so we have been unable
to satisfy NASDAQ's demands.
"Since coming to the U.S. in 2004, ABAT and I have consistently complied with
all U.S. laws and regulations. We have worked with great enthusiasm to try to
reward our shareholders for their loyalty to our company. Today,
unfortunately, I have lost confidence in the integrity of the U.S. capital
markets, as I see how the reckless actions of a few persons have negated all
of our good efforts.
"But I remain committed to our shareholders. I believe that their faith in our
company should be rewarded. So I write this letter to promise our shareholders
that in the coming months I will take the actions that I believe are necessary
to reward the loyalty of our shareholders."
Zhiguo Fu
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