FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s financial watchdog BaFin said on Tuesday it was conducting multiple investigations into Wirecard <WDIG.DE>, sending its shares lower and adding to pressure over allegations it has denied.
At 1309 GMT, Wirecard’s shares were 3.3% lower, making them the biggest faller on the German blue-chip index.
They had risen on Monday following news it had reshuffled its management board and appointed a new compliance officer.
Wirecard has denied allegations including accounting irregularities and disclosure violations.
It said in a statement on Tuesday it was in regular contact with BaFin and fully supports requests for information.
“Wirecard is convinced that it has complied with all information obligations,” it said.
BaFin officials said they were looking at Wirecard’s reliability as the owner of Wirecard Bank, as well as at communication with investors ahead of the publication of a critical audit by KPMG.
BaFin president Felix Hufeld, speaking by phone to journalists, declined to spell out the nature of each line of inquiry but said there had been multiple investigations.
“Of course we are looking very closely at Wirecard,” Hufeld said. “This is self-evident”.
(Reporting by Tom Sims, Hans Seidenstuecker, and Patricia Uhlig; editing by Maria Sheahan and Barbara Lewis)
