FBI Enters Enron Headquarters to Investigate Document Shredding

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 23, 2002

FBI Enters Enron Headquarters to Investigate Document Shredding

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Tuesday entered Enron's headquarters in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday to investigate allegations of document shredding.

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Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Tuesday entered Enron's headquarters in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday to investigate allegations of document shredding.

The FBI did not give any details, but Enron officials confirmed that the agents talked with workers.

Meanwhile, Enron shareholders suing the fallen energy giant asked a federal judge to bar the company from destroying any more records. They are suing Enron executives and directors over more than 1 billion dollars they gained from selling Enron stock from 1998 through last November.

William Lerach, a lawyer representing the shareholders, carrieda box of shredded paper into court Tuesday, saying it came from a former Enron executive who saw Enron employees destroying documents as recently as last week.

Lawyers of the shareholders welcomed the arrival of the FBI. Lerach said he was satisfied the FBI can watch over Enron's documents.

Mauren Castaneda, the former director of Enron's foreign investments section, told ABC News television on Monday that the company continued shredding documents despite federal subpoenas and court orders since last October forbidding the destruction of documents.

On the political front, President George W. Bush, a friend of Enron chairman Kenneth Lay, said again on Tuesday that he would not release details of Enron contacts with White House aides who developed his energy plan, saying if "somebody has an accusation of wrongdoing, let me know."

He urged Congress to pass his tax-cutting economic revival planand not to be distracted by the Enron investigation.

Congressional investigators said on Tuesday that they will subpoena senior officials at Enron's former auditor, Arthur Andersen, including the chief executive, to testify at a hearing on Thursday.

Arthur Andersen, which acknowledged earlier this month that itsHouston office had destroyed thousands of Enron-related documents,is under investigation of Congress and some government departments.

Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on December 2, becoming the biggest bankruptcy case in U.S. history.

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