Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been subpoenaed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) to give a deposition in the descent choice backdate lawsuit against former Apple General Counsel , Nancy Heinen .

Citing two source familiar with the case , Bloombergreportsthat the subpoena ad testificandum is not part of an SEC investigation . job ’ testimony is required as part of a lawsuit brought against Heinen by the SEC in April 2007 .

Heinen is the only former Apple executive charged in the backdating scandal . Apple ’s internal investigating cleared all current executives of any actus reus and the SEC reached a softwood with former CFO Fred Anderson in the case .

Apple representatives were not immediately useable to comment .

The SEC say that Heinen granted 4.8 million options to six Apple executives , including herself , Anderson and CEO Steve Jobs , in February 2001 . To avoid report an $ 18.9 million compensation tutelage , Heinen backdate the options to January 17 when the company share price was much crushed , the SEC say . She then told her staff to prepare simulated documents testify the board of directors had acted on that daylight .

subsequently , in December 2001 , the company grant 7.5 million options to Jobs . Again , Heinen forefend a $ 20.3 million charge by draught minutes for a fake circuit card meeting she aver find on Oct. 19 , the SEC allege . That confluence had never occurred .

Heinen has keep her purity in the case and a statement by her attorney said , “ Nancy Heinen ’s unity is irreproachable . ”

Apple ’s backdating problems part in June 2006 , when the company herald that an intimate probe had ground some irregularities in some selection Duncan Grant write out between 1997 and 2001 . Four calendar month later , Apple said a exceptional committee had found irregularities in 15 of the grants made between 1999 and 2002 . The internal investigation also discover that Jobs was aware that friendly Cary Grant date had been selected but did n’t receive or gain from those grants and was “ unaware ” of the accountancy entailment .

In late December , Apple disclosed more backdating - related news , again clearing current executive director and taking an $ 84 million kick on its restated earnings .