Singapore’s Zilingo fires CEO Ankiti Bose after suspension

May 20 (Reuters) – Singapore-based fashion startup Zilingo has fired its Chief Executive Officer Ankiti Bose after an independent investigation into “complaints of serious financial irregularities,” the company said in an emailed statement on Friday.

Bose told Reuters in an emailed statement that Zilingo had instructed corporate risk consultancy Kroll to investigate an “anonymous whistle-blower complaint” against her and said that she had been wrongfully dismissed.

Bose, who was initially suspended by Zilingo on March 31 pending the probe, also said that this week she had informed the board in detail about “the amount of harassment and duress” she had undergone in the past few years.

“At the point of my purported termination, I have yet to be presented with the findings of both Kroll and Deloitte and my reports being incomplete, the board has wrongfully terminated me today for ‘insubordination’ without giving me a chance to address fully the concerns that have been raised,” she said.

Kroll declined to comment. Deloitte did not immediately respond to email and phone requests for comment. Zilingo did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Zilingo did not give details about the probe in its statement but added that a top consulting firm was appointed to look into the claims of “harassment” brought to the board’s notice by Bose after her suspension.

Zilingo said the investigation had “concluded that the company took appropriate action and followed due process to address these complaints that were brought to their notice.”

Reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore and Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat, Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund Blair

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