Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs is being dragged toward the heart of a stock-options backdating scandal with potentially industry-changing implications, according to analysts. A former Apple executive who settled charges linked to stock-options fraud said Tuesday he warned Jobs about potential accounting problems related to the executive awards.

The claims about Jobs' knowledge of the scheme came as Apple's former top lawyer and former head financial officer were charged in a civil suit by US federal regulators with participating in fraud related to multi-million dollar Apple stock option awards.

Federal securities regulators said yesterday that they would bring no civil charges against Apple over the backdating of executive stock options. But they stopped short of removing the cloud that for nearly a year has hung over the company?s chief executive, Steven P. Jobs.

"The Securities and Exchange Commission did not file any action against Apple or any of its current employees," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said in a statement inquiry from AFP.