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HKEJ Column

Home Research Thought Leadership HKEJ Column
The Revelation of the First Securities Class Action Case in Mainland China

The Revelation of the First Securities Class Action Case in Mainland China

30 Mar 2022
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集體訴訟制度首宗案例及其啟示

證券集體訴訟制度已於2020年7月31日在中國證券市場正式實施。康美藥業訴訟案作為A股市場的首宗集體訴訟,饒富深意,在內地和本港均備受矚目;下文將對此案作一扼要分析。

內地首宗集體訴訟案

在廣東普寧市註冊的康美藥業股份有限公司(以下簡稱「康美」),於2001年在上海證券交易所上市。該公司在原實際控制人、董事長、總經理的指使下,在2016至2018年期間進行財務造假,虛增營業收入和貨幣資金近300億元(人民幣.下同)。康美事件亦被稱為A股歷史上最大的財務造假案。

在2018年,康美因被質疑財務造假,被中國證券監督管理委員會立案調查,並在2019年受到處罰。11名投資者在廣州市中級法院向康美提起普通代表訴訟,法院於2020年12月31日受理其申請。中證中小投資者服務中心於2021年4月28日接受了56名原告的特別授權,隨即啟動對康美的集體訴訟。經最高法院特別指定,由原受理法院廣州中院繼續審理該案。同年6月4日,揭陽市中級法院裁定康美進行破產重整。

同年11月12日,廣州中院作出一審判決。康美需因財務造假承擔24.59億元的賠償責任,公司實際控制人等4名原高管人員,組織策劃實施財務造假,需承擔100%的連帶賠償責任;另有13名高管、董事(包括5名獨立董事)按過錯程度分別承擔20%、10%、5%的連帶賠償責任;該公司的審計機構因未實施基本的審計程序,也需承擔100%的連帶賠償責任,其審計專案的簽字會計師,也被判需要承擔在會計師事務所的承責範圍內的連帶賠償責任。

由於案中原告、被告雙方均未在規定期限內就一審判決上訴,故在11月17日,康美原實際控制人因操縱證券市場罪、違反資訊披露以及行賄罪,被判處有期徒刑12年以及處罰金120萬元。後來廣東神農氏與財務投資人決定入股康美,並於12月17日支付康美65億元重整投資資金(包括56億元現金);投資完成後,廣東神農氏成為康美的第一大股東。

在12月21日,康美訴訟案開始進行賠償,52,037名投資者獲償約24.59億元。其中,50萬元以下的債權部分,全額以現金清償;超出50萬元的債權則通過現金、以股抵債、信託收益權等方式予以清償。

從上述法律程序可見,中國證券市場的首宗集體訴訟在一年內順利結束。

康美訴訟案引出的新議題

康美訴訟案的法院判罰中,5名外部獨立董事需要連帶承擔5%至10%不等的賠償責任(即約1.2億至2.4億元的連帶賠償金額),這遠遠超過他們每年從康美所領取的7至12萬元董事津貼。雖然法院的用意是好的,但也對A股上市公司獨立董事的人力供應市場帶來深遠的影響,增加上市公司招聘和續聘高質素董事的難度。據不完全統計,在2021年11月12日至2022年1月24日期間,有約140名董事從A股上市公司辭職(不包括因獨立董事任職6年期滿,需按規定更換之類)。可以預見,上市公司為延攬、續聘董事,將不得不大幅提高董事津貼,並購買董事與高管責任保險(以下簡稱「董責險」)和提升保額。

類似因董事面臨法律責任風險上升引起的辭職潮,在美國至少出現過兩次,分別在上世紀八十年代中後期和本世紀初。讓上市公司的董事和高管承擔法律責任風險,或給予他們法律保障,不但在理論上利弊互見,而且長期存在爭議。兩者之間的最佳平衡點並不容易達致,故美國的立法機關在此問題上的取態反覆 【註】。

另外一點值得注意的是,美國各州的公司法通常允許公司在公司章程中,規定可以對董事遭遇訴訟時的法律費用和賠付提供財務援助,個別州份的公司法甚至允許公司為外部董事提供免責保障。據筆者了解,內地的公司法並未就這方面的保障作出規定,因此,A股公司能否效法美國為董事提供一定程度的保障,尚不得而知。

觀乎康美訴訟案中,雖然被欺詐的投資者最終近乎完美地得到賠付,但是此案還是留下了一些未解之題。首先,因為康美有新的投資者入股重組公司,而間接承擔了所涉賠償。康美原實際控制人和其他連帶責任方日後會否承擔責任,現階段尚不得而知。如果沒有新股東的資金投入,已資不抵債的康美會破產嗎?被欺詐的投資者會獲賠多少?

其次,在康美訴訟案中,至今仍未看到董責險會發揮什麼作用,這一點其實頗為重要。筆者上周在本欄提到,美國的證券集體訴訟往往以庭外和解告終。被告通常不承認也不否認行為失當,只有極少數的訴訟案件會進入法官宣判的階段。亦唯有如此,被告才能利用責任保險的保額作出賠償。要是延至法官宣判,被告如被判需因作假賠付投資者,保單的不承保項目就會阻止保險理賠。

目前尚未知道內地的法院會否允許,對已由監管機關認定的造假訴訟案進行庭外和解,也不清楚如果康美之前有購買董責險,在法院判罰的情況下,責任保險的保額會對賠付有何作用。如果大多數的集體訴訟均需由法院裁決,而董責險的保額不能用於賠付,那麼這種保險的價值將會大打折扣,難免會影響董責險在內地的日後發展。

上述未解的新議題,還需留待未來的訴訟案件來解答。可以預見的是,法院就康美訴訟案的判決將會促使A股上市公司的董事、高管更加謹慎地履職,這無疑具有重要的正面意義。

 

鳴謝:中國人民大學商學院袁蓉麗教授和上海同濟大學經濟與管理學院馬慧博士在本文寫作過程中為筆者提供的寶貴幫助,特此鳴謝。

 

參考文獻:

廣州中級法院民事判決書(2020)粵(01)民初2171號

【註】:〈從瑞幸咖啡事件探討董事與高管的法律責任與保護〉,鄒宏、沈思晨,《信報》,2020年5月20日

 

鄒宏 港大經管學院金融學教授

(本文同時於二零二二年三月三十日載於《信報》「龍虎山下」專欄。)

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