Former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay has been indicted on criminal charges related to the energy company's collapse, according to reports by television and other media on Wednesday.

The indictment of Lay, the company's founder, was expected to be unsealed upon or shortly after his surrender to the FBI, said the reports, adding he was expected to surrender to federal authorities on Thursday.

Lay has consistently maintained his innocence of any wrongdoing.

Enron, once one of the biggest companies in the United States, had more than 20,000 employees worldwide before the company imploded nearly three years ago amid revelations of hidden debt, inflated profits and accounting tricks.

Source: Xinhua