(1) |
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
|
(2) |
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
|
(3) |
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing
fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
(4) |
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
|
(5) |
Total
fee paid:
|
(1) |
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
(2) |
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement
No.:
|
(3) |
Filing
Party:
|
(4) |
Date
Filed:
|
l |
For
the first time it acknowledges in black and white that there is a
significant problem
of related party transactions between IUSA, Mr. Vinod Gupta
and some
of the directors. It purports to do an “in-depth” investigation, but
only looks
at 2004 when the board knew there was approximately $16 million
of
these transactions back to 1998;1
|
l |
It
isolates $632,000 of improper payments in 2004; but it fails
to
investigate nearly
$1,000,000 of private jet and car reimbursements for this year as
well as
the
propriety of items paid directly by IUSA that we found in our books
and
records
search;
|
l |
As
far as we can tell, the board has taken no action to get Mr. Vinod
Gupta
to pay for
the benefits that the Audit Committee determined that he improperly
received;2
|
l |
Then
it blessed IUSA’s expending more
shareholder funds ($5.0 million) to acquire
the offending assets - the jets, the 80-foot yacht and the cars -
to
eliminate the
technical “related party” nature of the
transactions;
|
l
|
We
believe that by acquiring these assets, IUSA no longer has to report
to
shareholders on their use as related party transactions. With less
public
disclosure, does this mean there will be more effective oversight
on their
use or that there will be less?
|
1.
|
The
memorandum states that:
|
· |
$631,899
of these charges for
personal and unsupportable items “will be borne” by Mr. Vinod
Gupta;
|
· |
The
current practice of fixed monthly reimbursements “is difficult to support
under any circumstances,” and
|
· |
Former
director Harold Andersen, director Dennis Walker, and Annapurna
Corporation have occupied IUSA’s facilities apparently without
charge.
|
· |
The
$631,899 was ever repaid. We
don’t see confirmation in the Company’s proxy statements or in the
thousands of documents we received from IUSA.
|
· |
The
Board and/or its Committee(s) had previously approved these reimbursements
before they were made. Our
inspection did not reveal any evidence of prior approvals, but did
reveal
that the vast majority of these reimbursements to Vinod Gupta were
OK’d by Mr. Gupta himself.
Our inspection also did not reveal any minutes of Board meetings
at which
our concerns about related party transactions had been discussed,
despite
assurances from several Directors that they would be discussed at
the
October 2005 two-day board meeting.1
It
appears to us that the full board continues to be asleep at the
switch.
|
· |
In
2004, there is $929,000 of payments made to Annapurna Corporation
for use
of private jets and $57,000 to Aspen Leasing Services, for the use
of
numerous vehicles. With
respect to these items, Dr. Raval merely wrote that “infoUSA
now [in 2005] owns a share of Net Jet. Personal usage, if any, will
have
to be reported” and the “lease/ownership of the cars will be transferred
over to IUSA.”
|
o |
The
agreement to purchase the skybox from Annapurna was signed in April
2003.
|
o |
The
invoice confirming IUSA’s payment to Annapurna is dated in May
2003.
|
o |
But
in July 2003 the IUSA Audit Committee requested backup “supporting the
price to
be paid
by
the Company for the use of the SkyBox.” (emphasis
added)
|
o |
In
October 2003, the Audit Committee, chaired by Dr. Raval, approved
the deal
- five months after the money had already been paid
out.
|
1 |
Dolphin’s
definitive Proxy
Materials.
|
2
|
Records
obtained from Dolphin’s books and records
request.
|
3 |
Dolphin
learned that Aspen Leasing Services is also wholly owned from records
obtained from its books and records
requests.
|
4
|
IUSA
proxy materials. Includes $1.4 million in 1998, $4.0 million in 1999,
$2.0
million in 2000, $2.1 million in 2001, $2.6 million in 2002 and $2.2
million in 2003.
|
5
|
From
records obtained pursuant to Dolphin’s books and records request. Includes
payments to Vinod Gupta affiliates for use of personal property
(residences and watercraft), services charges for travel services,
and a
premium on a life insurance policy held by Vinod Gupta Irrevocable
Trust.
These payments per year are as follows: $632,000 in 2004, $529,000
in
2003, $508,000 in 2002, $263,000 in 2001 and $179,000 in
2000.
|
6
|
From
records obtained pursuant to Dolphin’s books and records request. These
reimbursements include the following amounts paid to Annapurna: $0.9
million in 2004, $1.1 million in 2003, $1.7 million in 2002, $1.9
million
in 2001, $1.9 million in 2000 and $0.3 million plus $0.8 million
paid
directly to NetJets in 2005.
|
7
|
From
records obtained pursuant to Dolphin’s books and records request. Includes
an additional $36,696 for a premium on a life insurance policy for
Vinod
Gupta Irrevocable Trust; $57,543 to Aspen Leasing Company for leases
on
four automobiles and a catamaran; $75,840 paid for rent and maintenance
on
a condominium in Washington, D.C.; $48,000 to one of Mr. Vinod Gupta’s
sons who is an IUSA employee for rent on a condominium in Maui, Hawaii;
$23,163 for maintenance, housekeeping and condo association dues
for the
Maui condo; and $72,225 in direct payments related to the “American
Princess” yacht, which includes reimbursement of crew, yacht maintenance,
insurance and credit card reimbursements for crew members. Please
note
that the Maui condominium is described in the Raval Memo as being
in
“heavy use by customers and
employees”.
|
8
|
From
records pursuant to Dolphin’s books and records request. Includes the
premium on a life insurance policy for Vinod Gupta Irrevocable Trust;
leases on four automobiles and a catamaran; rent and maintenance
on a
condominium in Washington, D.C.; rent, maintenance, housekeeping
and dues
on a condominium in Maui, Hawaii; direct payments related to the
“American
Princess” yacht; and direct payments for use of a condo in San Mateo,
California. This figure includes $348,000 in 2005, $313,000 in 2004,
$292,000 in 2003, $165 thousand in 2002, $23,000 in 2001 and $15,000
in
2000.
|
9
|
In
February 2005 an interest in a Gulf Stream IV was acquired for $2.6
million, a $2.2 million lease on “American Princess” yacht assumed, and
$182,000 paid for autos. (See Footnote 2) $617,0000 was paid in May
2003
for rights to a skybox at University of Nebraska Football Stadium.
(IUSA
10-K 3/15/04). In October 2001, IUSA assumed a $2.8 million mortgage
on a
building from Everest Investment Management (40% owned by Mr. Vinod
Gupta). (IUSA Def 14A
4/2/04).
|
l |
Annapurna
|
l |
Use
of personal properties
|
l |
Employees
as contactors or consultants
|
l |
Directors’
related party transactions
|
l |
Other
|
1.
|
Is
there a record of transaction authorization? Do we maintain documents
on
both sides to show the nature of services, who authorized, when delivered,
and how paid?
|
2.
|
Could
these services be procured from other sources? If so, what would
be the
price?
|
Entity
|
Class
of
transactions
|
2004
Amount
|
Comment
|
|
Annapurna
|
NetJet
|
$928,990
|
InfoUSA
now
owns
a share of NetJet. Personal
use,
if any, will
have
to be
reported.
|
|
Annapurna
|
Use
of personal
properties
(residences)
|
Fixed
monthly
charge
|
120,000
|
No
charges
beginning
2005.
|
Annpurna
|
Use
of personal
properties
(boat)
|
Employment
Use
of boat
|
123,899
154,000
|
InfoUSA
will
lease
from an
external
party, not
Annapurna,
as and when needed.
|
Annapurna
|
Travel
services
|
Service
charges
|
195,000
|
Travel
services
will
not be offered by Annapurna in 2005. These charges will not
exist.
|
Annapuna
|
Contractor
services
|
2,800
|
||
TOTAL
|
$1,524,689
|
1.
|
Did
InfoUSA truly benefit from the use? Some results may surface quickly,
others may take a long time. Some benefits may be strictly indirect,
others may be clearly direct.
|
2.
|
Could
these services be procured from other sources? A hotel suite in place
of
the residence, or a boat rental from a third party. If equivalent
services
are procured from outside, what would be the cost? The market determines
the value received by InfoUSA.
|
3.
|
Does
the property manager keep a detailed audit trail similar to what
third
parties would maintain? In addition, information such as purpose
of visit,
etc. will also be necessary to prove the business use of personal
properties.
|
1.
|
Adopt
a company policy that no such reimbursement shall be allowed. Employees
affected should consider reporting unreimbursed employee expenses
on their
individual tax return to the IRS.
|
2.
|
A.
somewhat less satisfactory option is to have the owner document actual
business use of each personal property. A fair value of equivalent
services can be computed and the owner employee could be reimbursed
accordingly. This option will require that proper records are maintained
by the owner employee and periodically audited by
InfoUSA.
|
3.
|
A
third option is the current practice of a fixed monthly reimbursement
This
is difficult to support under any
circumstances.
|
Entity
|
Class
of
transactions
|
2004
Amount
|
Comment
|
|
Related
party
of
CEO
|
Use
of personal
property
|
Monthly
charges — Maui condo
|
$48,000
|
This
property is
currently
in heavy use by customers and employees. Consequently, the transfer
of
funds will continue in 2005.
|
Aspen
Leasing
|
Fees
for leasing
|
57,543
|
Lease
/ownership of cars will be transferred over to InfoUSA.
|
|
1.
|
Does
a consulting agreement exist?
|
2.
|
Is
the nature of work substantive and beyond the scope of the employee’s
normal duties?
|
3.
|
Are
the duties/tasks definitive? Verifiable? Are the deliverables specified
in
the contract?
|
4.
|
Is
there a proof of time spent on the contract outside of employment
hours?
|
5.
|
Are
the duties under the contract dissimilar from the nature of duties
on the
employment? Are these ongoing or one-time
duties?
|
6.
|
Does
the employee-contractor have any other employees? If so, are any
other
personnel of the contractor involved in contract
fulfillment?
|
1.
|
Unless
there is evidence that the transaction is truly a contractual arrangement,
pay the employees through payroll. All such payments should be subject
to
normal tax withholdings.
|
· |
All
contracts should be subject to sign offs by designated functions
and the
end-user beneficiary function in the
company.
|
2.
|
If
the person involved is a key officer of the company, any such compensation
may need to be approved/reviewed by the compensation committee of
the
Board.
|
Entity
|
Employee
|
Office?
|
2004
Amount
|
Comment
|
|
White
Oak
Consulting
|
Ray
Butkus
|
Yes
|
Monthly
Triflex
OneSource
|
$176,775
25,000
122,667
|
|
Ed
Mallin
|
Yes
|
Monthly
Edith
Roman
|
104,000
175,000
|
||
Albortz
Corp.
|
Fred
Vakili
|
Yes
|
Triflex
OneSource/Edith
Roman
Trade
Shows
|
50,000
50,000
8,040
|
|
LMDT
|
DJ
Thayer
|
Yes
|
Rent
Consulting
|
24,000
75,000
|
|
IT
Marketing
|
Janet
Thayer
|
Not
an
employee
|
Contractor
fees
(variable
monthly)
|
79,139
|
Meets
the
definition
of
contractor.
|
Growth
Quest
|
Monica
Messer
|
Yes
|
OneSource/Edith
Roman
|
50,000
|
|
Rakesh
Gupta
|
Yes
|
OneSource
|
40,000
|
||
Raj
Das
|
Yes
|
OneSouree
|
25,000
|
||
Financial
Communications
|
L.
Gupta
|
No
|
Expense
reimbursement
-
fixed
monthly
|
31,200
|
1.
|
Related
parties should pay InfoUSA for value received. This is should be
under a
formal contract, such as rental
agreement.
|
2.
|
Any
other related party tenants of other properties of InfoUSA should
be
identified. Such entities should enter into similar agreements with
InfoUSA.
|
Entity
|
Class
of
transactions
|
2004
Amount of
compensation
|
2004
Amount of
expenses
reimbursed
|
Comment
|
Dennis
Walker
|
Board
member
|
$60,000
|
||
Vasant
Ravel
|
Board
member
|
96,000
|
||
Elliot
Kaplan
|
Board
member
|
60,000
|
Included
in
Robins,
Kaplan,
Miller
& Ciresi
invoices
|
|
George
Haddix
|
Board
member
|
84,000
|
||
H.
Andersen
|
Board
member
|
84,000
|
$3,091
|
|
Richard
Borda
|
Board
member
|
84,000
|
3,003
|
|
TOTAL
|
468,000
|
6,094
|
Entity
|
Class
of
transactions
|
Related
party
|
2004
Amount
|
Comment
|
Robins,
Kaplan,
Miller
&
Corsi
|
Legal
services
|
Elliot
Kaplan
(Director)
|
$575,876
|
The
use of legal
services
from the
firm
is Maly on an ongoing basis, and is properly disclosed in the
past.
|
Entity
|
Employee
|
Class
of
transactions
|
2004
Amount
|
Comment
|
Gupta
Family
irrevocable
trust
|
Vin
Gupta
|
Term
Life
Ins.
Policy
premium
|
$39,000
|
Not
a key-man policy. Payment should be made directly by Vin. Reimbursement
may be grossed up, if the Board wishes, to compensate Vin for tax
consequences.
|
Item
|
Amount
|
Annapurna
—Use of personal properties (residences)
|
$120,000
|
Annapurna
—Use of personal property boat)
|
277,899
|
Annapurna
—Service charges for travel services
|
195,000
|
Term
life policy insurance premium to Gupta Family Irrevocable
Trust
|
39,000
|
TOTAL
|
$631,899
|