Aura hit by cash scandal: writ issued as director departs.(Royalties)

Performers' society, Aura has dismissed its membership secretary and director Peter Horrey following the discovery of what it says are "significant financial irregularities".

Aura--the Association of United Recording Artists--has secured a High Court injunction freezing Horrey's assets and those of his partner, Michelle Davis-Gardner. It has also commissioned an independent accountant to trace the destination of all payments made by the organisation over the past four years.

In a statement issued last Friday, Aura says "financial problems" were uncovered as it prepared to transfer the handling of its financial transactions to PPL's UK Performance Services. That move has now gone ahead, effectively transforming Aura from a collection agency into a lobby group for featured musicians.

Aura has filed a civil suit against Horrey with the aim of retrieving the missing sums of money. If Horrey does not offer a defence, a summary judgement could be delivered within two to three months, according to Brian Howard of Russells, the legal firm acting for Aura. Should the case proceed to a civil hearing, it would probably take about a year to come before a judge.

...