Exhibit 14.4
BONSO ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL INC. |
WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY
(Confirmed Effective as of June 30, 2015)
This Policyapplies toalldirectors,officersandemployees of BONSO ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL INC.and itssubsidiary companies, companies controlled by its subsidiary companies, and their respective officers, directors and employees(collectively“Bonso”).
Asusedinthisdocument,“Board”,“AuditCommitteeChairman”,and“CFO”meanstheentireBoardofDirectors, theChairmanoftheAuditCommitteeoftheBoard,andtheChiefFinancialOfficer (inthat capacityandasCompliance Officer)ofBonso.
Bonsoiscommittedtomaintainingthehigheststandardsofbusinessconductandethicsinitsaccountingstandardsanddisclosures,internalaccountingcontrols,andauditpractices.ItisthePolicyofBonsotocomplywithandrequireitsdirectors,officers,andemployees to complywithallapplicablelegaland regulatoryrequirementsrelatingtocorporatereportinganddisclosure,accounting andauditingcontrols andprocedures, securitiescomplianceand othermatterspertainingto fraudagainstshareholders. Everydirector,officerandemployee has the responsibility toassistBonsoinmeeting these requirements.
Bonso’sinternalcontrolsandcorporatereportinganddisclosureproceduresareintendedtoprevent,deterandremedyanyviolationoftheapplicablelawsandregulationsthatrelatetocorporatereportinganddisclosure,accountingandauditingcontrolsandprocedures,securitiescomplianceandothermatterspertaining tofraudagainst theshareholders.Eventhebestsystems ofcontrol andprocedures,however,cannot provideabsolutesafeguardsagainstsuchviolations.Bonsohas a responsibilitytoinvestigateand, ifrequired,report toappropriategovernmentalauthorities,anyviolations including those relating to:
(i) | corporatereportinganddisclosure, |
(ii) | accountingandauditingcontrolsandprocedures, |
(iii) | securitiescompliance, |
(iv) | insider trading, |
(v) | conflicts of interest, |
(vi) | breaches ofcompanypolicy,and |
(vi) other mattersthat maypertain tofraudagainstshareholdersor violations of law.
ThisPolicygovernstheprocessthroughwhichemployeesandothers,eitherdirectlyoranonymously,cannotifytheAuditCommitteeChairmanortheAuditCommitteeofBonso’sBoardofDirectorsofpotentialviolationsorconcerns.Inaddition,thisPolicyestablishes amechanismfor responding to,andkeeping recordsof,complaintsfromemployeesandothersregarding suchpotentialviolationsor concerns.
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1. | Reporting AllegedViolationsor Concerns |
IfanemployeereasonablybelievesthatanyBonsoemployeeorotherpersonactingonbehalfofBonsohasviolatedanylegal orregulatoryrequirementsorinternal policyrelatingtoaccountingstandardsanddisclosures,internalaccountingcontrols,mattersrelatedtotheinternal orexternalaudit ofBonso’s financialstatements, oranyotherfraudulentactivities, the employeeshould immediatelyreport his orher concernasfollows:
a) | Byemailing the Chairman of the Audit Committee or dialingBonso’s hotline numbers in Hong Kong or the United States, and: |
1. | Toreport to the Audit Committee via email, please send an email to BonsoAuditCommittee@gmail.com. |
2. | To report by phone, employees in China or Hong Kong can call directly to the Audit Committee’s hotline number by using the appropriate international dialing protocall (if necessary) and dialing the following number: +852-2369-9767(Hong Kong. |
b) | BycontactingtheAuditCommittee Chairman or AuditCommittee directly: |
In Writing: Audit Committee Chairman
FOK Woo Ping
c/o C.K. Mok & Co., Solicitors
1/F O.T.B. Building
259-265 Des Voeux Road
Central, Hong Kong
By Email:BonsoAuditCommittee@gmail.com
c) | If an employee is not comfortable reporting a concern directly to the Audit Committee Chairman, or to theAudit Committee, he or she should report the concern to any supervisor or member of management whom he or she is comfortable approaching. Any manager or other supervisory employee who receives report of an alleged violation must immediately forward the report to the Audit Committee Chairman. The Audit Committee Chairman will communicate all reports of alleged violations to the other members of Bonso’s Audit Committee (if any). |
TheAuditCommitteeiscomposed at the present time of a singledirectorofBonsowhoisindependentoftheofficersandmanagementofBonso, and an ex officio member who is a director but who would not be considered independent of the officers and management of Bonso (because his law firm serves as counsel to Bonso).TheAuditCommitteeissolelyresponsibleforinvestigatingandrespondingtoreportsofviolationsregardingaccountingstandardsand disclosures,internal accountingcontrols,ormattersrelatedtotheinternalorexternalauditofBonso’sfinancialstatements.
ReportsofallegedviolationsmaybesubmittedanonymouslytotheAuditCommitteeChairmanortheAuditCommitteeiftheemployeedesires.Althoughanonymousreports maybesubmittedviaanyoftheabovemethods,reportssubmittedbye-mailareless likelytoremainanonymousandconfidentialthanthosesubmittedinwriting.Allreportsofallegedviolations,whether or not theywere submittedanonymously,will bekept instrictconfidence to the extentpossible,consistent withBonso’sneed toconductanadequateinvestigation.
Reportsofallegedviolationsshouldbefactual,ratherthanspeculativeorconclusory,andshouldcontainasmuchdetailaspossibletoallowforproperassessment.Thereportshouldclearlysetforthalltheinformationtheemployeeknowsabouttheallegedviolation.Thecomplaintdescribinganallegedviolationorconcernshouldbecandidandshouldsetforthalloftheinformationthat theemployeeknows regarding theallegation orconcern.Inaddition, thecomplaint shouldcontainsufficientcorroboratinginformation tosupport thecommencement ofaninvestigation. Bonsomay, in itsreasonablediscretion,determine not tocommenceaninvestigationif acomplaintcontainsonlyunspecifiedorbroadallegationsofwrongdoingwithoutappropriatefactualsupport.
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2. | InvestigationofComplaints |
Uponreceiptofacomplaintallegingaviolationofany United Statesstateorfederallaw, British Virgin Islands law, Hong Kong law, the laws of Chinaorinternalpolicyregardingaccountingstandardsanddisclosures,internalaccountingcontrols,mattersrelatedtotheinternalorexternalauditofBonso’sfinancialstatements,oranyotherfraudulentactivities, theAudit Committee, or a designatedmember of the Committee,willmake adeterminationastowhether areasonablebasisexistsforcommencingan investigationintotheconductallegedinthe complaint. If theAuditCommittee or itsdesignatedmemberconcludesthataninvestigationiswarranted,itshalltakeappropriatemeasurestoimplementathoroughinvestigation of theallegations. TheAuditCommitteeshallhave the authority toobtainassistancefromBonso’smanagement, counsel orauditors, or toretainseparate outsidelegal oraccountingexpertiseas it deems necessary ordesirable inorder toconduct theinvestigation.
AteachmeetingoftheAuditCommittee,theCommitteewilldiscussthestatusofanyongoinginvestigationandreviewtheresolutionofeachcomplaintsubmitted previously,whetherornot the complaintresulted in the commencement ofaformalinvestigation.
3. | Corrective Action |
TheAudit Committeeisultimatelyresponsiblefordeterminingthevalidityofeach complaint andfashioning,with theinput ofitsadvisors and companymanagement, ifrequested,theappropriate correctiveaction. The Committeeshallreportanylegal orregulatorynoncompliancetocompany managementand ensurethatmanagement takescorrectiveactionincluding,where appropriate,reportinganyviolation torelevant governmental authorities.
Any director, officer, or employee deemed to have violated any law, rule or regulation, or anyinternal policy regarding accounting standards and disclosures, internal accounting controls,matters related to the internal external audit of Bonso’s financial statements, or any otherfraudulentactivity,maybe subject to disciplinaryaction, up toandincludingtermination.
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4. | No Retaliation |
Employeesshouldfeelconfidenttoreportviolationsasdescribedaboveortoassistininvestigationsofsuchallegedviolations.Bonsowillnottolerateretaliationordiscrimination ofanykindbyoron behalfofBonsoand itsemployeesagainstanyemployee making agoodfaithcomplaintof, orassisting in theinvestigationof, anyreportedcomplaint.
5. | RetentionofComplaintsandDocuments |
TheAuditCommitteeshallretainalldocumentsandrecordsregardinganycomplaintforaperiod of five(5)years.
It is illegal and against Bonso’s policy to destroy any corporate audit or other records that may be subject to or related to an investigation by Bonso of any alleged violation of United States state or federal law, British Virgin Islands law, Hong Kong law, the laws of China or by any United States, British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong or China regulatory body.
6. | Compliance withthe Policy |
AllemployeesmustfollowtheproceduresoutlinedinthisPolicyandcooperatewithanyinvestigationinitiatedpursuanttothisPolicy.AdheringtothisPolicyisaconditionofemployment.Bonsomusthavetheopportunity toinvestigateand remedyanyallegedviolatingoremployeeconcerns,andeach employee mustensure thatBonsohasan opportunity toundertakesuchaninvestigation.
This Policydoes notconstitutea contractualcommitment of Bonso.This Policyshould notbeconstruedaspreventing,limiting,ordelayingBonsofromtakingdisciplinaryactionagainstanyindividual, up toandincludingtermination, incircumstances(suchas, butnotlimitedto, thoseinvolvingproblems ofperformance,conduct,attitude, ordemeanor)whereBonso deems disciplinaryactionappropriate.
ThisPolicyinnowayaltersanemployee’semploymentstatuswithBonso.EitherBonsooranemployeecanterminatetheemploymentrelationshipatBonsoatanytime,foranyreason ornoreason,with or withoutcause,warning, ornotice.
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