More Scrutiny Urged for American Mobile

The former accountant for American Mobile Systems Inc. has written the Securities and Exchange Commission saying that the Woodland Hills company’s “ability to continue as a going concern” and plan of operations for 1993 deserve more scrutiny.

The Big Eight accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche, said in a September letter to the SEC that, because it was dismissed by American Mobile last month, it was not able to complete “expanded procedures” related to several matters. Among them is an evaluation of the company’s ability to recover $4.5 million in “unauthorized transfers” allegedly made by American Mobile’s former president, William Young.

Richard G. Somers, American Mobile’s new president and chief executive officer, said Monday that Young was trying to sell assets so he could pay back the company funds. But Somers said no money has been paid back yet, and “it’s difficult to say how much will be recovered at this time.”

Somers said he could not comment on the company’s current financial condition, because its new accounting firm, Peat Marwick, was auditing the company, which provides radio-dispatch and mobile-telephone services. Somers said Deloitte & Touche was dismissed because it was the accountant during the time when the unauthorized transfer of accounts occurred.

Separately, American Mobile said Monday that it has tentatively agreed to sell its mobile radio assets in the Philadelphia area for more than $3 million in cash. American Mobile, which said it could not disclose the name of the potential buyer, said it expects the sale to be completed within four months.