Nortel further delays financial restatement

Nortel Networks has delayed the publication of financial statements for the last three and a half years for the third time, claiming that the accounting revisions are so broad that it needs to double check several revenue areas. The operator was first due to file the reports by the end of September, but at the beginning of that month it pushed back the deadline to 31 October. On 27 October, however, it postponed it for a second time to mid-November, but now says it will not complete them for another 30-60 days. Its accounting practices are under regulatory and criminal investigation in the US and Canada. Nortel said it also plans to gain court permission to postpone its 2004 annual meeting from 31 March to 31 May 2005.