KMPG Australia fines staff up to $126,000 for 'unacceptable' misconduct in audit scandal

SYDNEY, July 20 (Reuters) - KPMG Australia said connected Monday it imposed penalties of up to A$180,000 ($125,838) connected a radical of ‌staff aft an interior probe into an audit leak ungraded ‌confirmed the "unacceptable" misuse of confidential lawsuit information.

Seven radical person been sanctioned, with consequences ranging from ​warnings, restricted vocation progression and little show ratings to fiscal penalties, the steadfast said.

KPMG has been nether aggravated scrutiny from the Australian authorities and blue-chip clients since whistleblower accusations that its unit utilized wrong accusation to ‌win lucrative audit contracts ⁠came to airy successful March.

The fiscal sanctions are the latest fallout from the ungraded that has led to ⁠the resignations of the firm's CEO, audit brag and chairman.

Three elder audit partners person already been fined for misusing confidential committee papers from existent property ​company ​Lendlease.

A KPMG spokesperson said an probe ​confirmed that interior documents containing ‌client accusation were "inappropriately shared" betwixt individuals wrong the firm.

"The behaviour is unacceptable and inconsistent with our values, policies and obligations to support lawsuit information," the spokesperson said.

The findings travel aft KPMG antecedently said its past investigations into the allegations failed to substantiate wrongdoing.

Two partners from the radical ‌of 7 decided to discontinue from the ​firm anterior to the sanctions being ​handed down, the spokesperson added.

Australia's ​corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), is ‌also investigating 3 partners implicit their ​role successful the ​scandal.

ASIC named 2 of the 3 partners. Both person near the steadfast and were among the 3 partners fined by KPMG ​for misusing Lendlease committee ‌papers. ASIC has not disclosed the individuality of the 3rd ​partner.

($1 = 1.4304 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Christine Chen and Scott Murdoch ​in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)