Wirecard

Wirecard AG’s former chief executive officer was detained by Munich prosecutors after 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) went missing from the digital-payment company, in a scandal that has rattled Germany’s financial industry.

Wirecard AG was left fighting for survival after acknowledging that 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) that it had reported as assets probably don’t exist, deepening an accounting scandal that has rattled Germany’s financial industry.

Markus Braun’s almost two decades as Wirecard AG’s chief executive officer ended after accusations about the company’s accounting culminated in a shock disclosure that it was unable to locate 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion).

Wirecard suffered one of the worst stock slumps in the history of Germany’s benchmark index after revealing that about 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in cash has gone missing, spooking investors who have endured years of allegations of wrongdoing at the payments company.

EY was sued over its work for the payment company, just two days after Wirecard’s headquarters were raided as part of a market manipulation probe.

An independent audit into Wirecard AG concluded that it was unable to obtain the data needed to confirm past revenues, and criticized the payment processor for internal “shortcomings” and unwillingness by its third-party partners to contribute to the report.

Wulf Matthias of Wirecard AG resigned after months of controversy over the digital payments company’s accounting practices.

The payment provider said it followed all reporting obligations properly amid renewed concerns about its accounting practices related to a delayed audit of the German company’s accounts in Singapore.

CEO Markus Braun tried to put fraud allegations behind him as questions persisted after an external probe failed to resolve issues from potential criminal behavior.

Wirecard AG surged the most in more than a decade after saying irregularities found in an external investigation into fraud allegations in Asia weren’t material.