Australia's corporate watchdog says its investigation into collapsed stockbroker Opes Prime is continuing but will not say if it is pursuing more legal action in relation to the firm.
On Friday last week, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) obtained orders in the Federal Court placing travel restrictions on Opes chief executive Lirim Emini.
Opes Prime, which is engaged in the borrowing and lending of securities, was placed into receivership and administration on Thursday last week after trading "irregularities" were uncovered.
Administrator John Lindholm of Ferrier Hodgson said on Friday that the solvency of the brokerage had been put under pressure due to a number of major clients not meeting significant margin calls.
ASIC said on Friday that it had set up a special team to investigate Opes Prime.
A spokesperson for ASIC said on Monday that she could not comment at this stage on whether any other applications had been made to the courts by ASIC in relation to Opes.
"If we do, we will make that public after the fact, but we're not going to pre-empt anything that we're doing as part of our general investigation," the spokesperson said.
"We don't comment on operational issues.
"Our investigation is continuing."
A spokesman for Ferrier Hodgson said it was putting together an information package for Opes Prime clients.
A meeting of creditors is scheduled for April 8.
Justice Ray Finkelstein of the Federal Court issued an order on Friday restraining Mr Emini from leaving Australia without the court's consent until 12 noon on Friday, April 4, 2008.
