Comverse sues Kobi Alexander, Sorin for $70 million

NEW YORK, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Comverse Technology Inc (CMVT.PK) sued former chief executive Jacob "Kobi" Alexander and former general counsel William Sorin on Wednesday for more than $70 million alleging they backdated stock options.

The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, is the latest twist in the scandal that has also seen criminal charges being filed against some of the software maker's former executives and left Alexander fighting extradition from Namibia.

Comverse sued Alexander and Sorin for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other claims, alleging they schemed to backdate millions of stock options granted to the company's employees and consultants, according to the complaint.

Lawyers for the two men were not immediately available for comment.

U.S. prosecutors in Brooklyn earlier charged Alexander, Sorin and former Chief Financial Officer David Kreinberg of reaping millions of dollars in profits by altering the grant dates of stock option awards from 1998 to 2002 to boost gains available to themselves and favored employees.

Alexander previously denied all criminal charges, blaming poor advice from his financial and legal advisers.

In November last year, Alexander, who has been living in Namibia, won a delay in his extradition hearing, which was not expected before March.

Sorin, a Harvard-educated attorney, was sentenced last May to a year and one day in prison for his role in the scheme, becoming the first corporate executive to be sentenced for options-related crimes.

He had pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn to one criminal count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud as part of a plea agreement.

Kreinberg has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and securities fraud. He is not named in the Comverse lawsuit. (Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Andre Grenon)