Autonomy's former CEO defends his record in open letter to Hewlett-Packard

PALO ALTO, Calif. An executive vilified by Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) on allegations of an accounting ruse is stepping up his attack on the company accusing him.

In a letter to HP's board released Tuesday, former Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch defends his record. He also suggests Hewlett-Packard is using the charges of financial shenanigans to cover up damage caused by its own mismanagement.

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The missive represented Lynch's most extensive remarks since HP accused him last week of deceiving the company about the growth of Autonomy, a business software maker that HP bought for $10 billion last year. He had previously denied HP's accusations.

HP absorbed an $8.8 billion charge to reflect Autonomy isn't worth what the company paid.

In a statement, HP says it stands behind its allegations against Lynch and other former Autonomy employees.