TECHNOLOGY - May 10, 1996

Former Platinum Execs Settle U.S. Fraud Suit: Three former officers of troubled Platinum Software Corp. in Irvine settled a federal suit in which they were charged with profiting from stock sales and performance bonuses based on falsified financial statements in 1993 and early 1994. Platinum makes software to help companies with their accounting needs. Company founder and former Chief Executive Gerald Blackie, who has already paid about $1.25 million to settle a suit by shareholders, was banned for 10 years from holding executive positions with public companies. Former Chief Financial Officer Jon R. Erickson was fined $100,000 and barred from holding executive positions for 10 years, and former controller Mark S. Tague was ordered to pay $371,600. SEC attorney Daniel A. Nathan called the case an example of “the fairly egregious conduct that can go on when there is no oversight” of a company’s top officers.