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Former IBM exec Moffat denies insider trading allegations

Robert Moffat

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Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Former IBM executive Robert Moffat is not going down without a fight in the high-profile insider trading scandal that has rocked Wall Street over the past two months.

Moffat, who had many ties with the Triangle where he worked with IBM’s PC division that was purchased by Lenovo in 2005 and then served as an advisor to Lenovo’s board, denied allegations against him in a court filing Wednesday.

He has already lost his job at IBM, plus he no longer has a role at Lenovo.

“Mr. Moffat does not intend to, and does not, waive any privileges in this or any other proceeding,” Kenneth Schacter, who represents Moffat, said in the filing, according to a Bloomberg news report.

Reuters noted that Moffat “denies that he provided material nonpublic information,” Reuters added, quoting the filing.

(For the complete SEC complaint in the case, read here.)

Moffat is one of 20 people caught up in the scandal that includes billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of investment firm Galleon Group. Moffat is accused of providing information about IBM, Sun Microsystems and AMD to New Castle Funds analyst Danielle Chiesi, who has been described in the case as a “friend” of Moffat.

In her own filing, Chiesi denied that she and Moffat’s “are friends,” Bloomberg noted.

Reuters noted that in the filing, Moffat through his lawyers "admits that in January 2009 IBM was conducting preliminary due diligence concerning Sun, denies knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief to the truth of allegations that Sun provided IBM with its Q2 2009 earnings results in advance of a January 27, 2009 announcement."

Moffat also "admits that Chiesi and he communicated from time to time during early 2009,” Reuters said, quoting from the filing.

Moffat was arrested on Oct. 16 and was replaced as head of IBM’s hardware operations on Oct. 30.

Chiesi also "denies any allegation that (she) received, distributed, or otherwise made use of material nonpublic information," Reuters added, citing a filing on her behalf.

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