Core Viewpoint - Hong Jiu Fruit (06689.HK), once hailed as the "first stock of fruit," is embroiled in a financial scandal involving loan fraud and misappropriation of employee stock purchase funds, leading to significant operational and financial distress [2][3]. Group 1: Financial Misconduct - The company's founder and six executives were detained by police for allegedly defrauding loans and issuing false VAT invoices [2]. - In 2023, the company launched an employee stock ownership plan to alleviate financial pressure, raising nearly 60 million yuan from over 600 participants, but most employees did not receive returns or proof of stock purchases after the plan's expiration [2][3]. - KPMG discovered severe financial issues, including 3.42 billion yuan paid to "ghost suppliers," which were likely used to fabricate performance figures, leading to KPMG's resignation and the company's suspension from trading [3]. Group 2: Operational Challenges - Following the suspension, the company faced a cash flow crisis, wage arrears, and social security payment defaults, prompting the founder to pledge shares for loans and use 500 million yuan in receivables from "ghost clients" as collateral [3]. - To maintain inflated revenue figures, the company resorted to fabricating invoices to offset tax liabilities, risking further financial instability [3]. Group 3: Market Implications - The collapse of Hong Jiu Fruit highlights the capital bubble in the fresh retail industry, indicating that extraordinary growth in low-concentration, low-profit sectors often involves high-risk maneuvers [4]. - The company's market value plummeted from a peak of 60 billion yuan to just 2.8 billion yuan, representing a loss of over 95%, raising concerns among institutional investors like Alibaba [3][4]. Group 4: Legal and Recovery Efforts - Some employees have reported the company to the police and are preparing for collective lawsuits, but the likelihood of recovering their investments remains uncertain [5].
从百亿神话到财务崩塌 洪九果品又掏空员工血汗钱