Mirant denies allegations of erasing potentially damaging data

ATLANTA - Energy supplier Mirant Corp. on Friday denied allegations that it intentionally purged potentially damaging data from its computers. <br> <br> The allegation was included in a shareholder lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against Atlanta-based Mirant earlier in the week. <br> <br> The suit claims a former Mirant employee ``revealed that he was instructed to delete certain files concerning Mirant&#39;s activities in California.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The employee, who was not identified, had been a technology-support worker at Mirant&#39;s executive department at company headquarters for six months between 2001 and 2002, the suit said. <br> <br> The suit alleged that all senior executives were ``specifically targeted to have their computers &#39;cleansed,&#39;&#39;&#39; including chief executive officer Marce Fuller. <br> <br> Mirant spokesman James Peters sharply denied the accusations. <br> <br> ``The allegations that we destroyed documents related to our business in California are completely false,&#39;&#39; Peters said. ``Those accusations are made with malicious intent to injure the reputation of Mirant and its employees.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The suit, a consolidation of 17 other suits, seeks class-action status to represent thousands of shareholders. <br> <br> In November, a federal grand jury subpoenaed Mirant and several other companies in an investigation that followed accusations that energy suppliers fixed prices and withheld power to drive up prices during California&#39;s energy crisis in 2000 and 2001. Mirant, like the other companies under subpoena, has denied engaging in such practices. <br> <br> In trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Mirant shares closed Friday at $1.75, down 14 cents, or 7.4 percent.