Business Secretary Vince Cable is to authorise an investigation into the administrators who oversaw the closure of electrical retailing chain Comet.

According to a report by Sky News, three partners from Deloitte – Nick Edwards, Christopher Farrington and Neville Khan – are to be referred to the accounting watchdog ICAEW, which has the power to impose substantial fines or strip accountants of their licence.

The report said the ICAEW probe is expected to examine whether the three partners breached accounting profession guidelines over a possible conflict of interest because they had acted for Comet before its insolvency and whether they failed to consult its staff properly before they were made redundant.

More than 2,000 Comet staff were awarded around £10m in redundancy following an employment tribunal which concluded last month. The judgement was that Comet “failed to comply with its obligations to consult trade unions and representatives of employees affected by proposed redundancies.”

Speaking after the tribunal, the joint liquidators, Neville Kahn and Chris Farrington of Deloitte, said: “It is disappointing that the tribunal has found against the company.

“The Comet management team, administrators from Deloitte and our advisors worked tremendously hard under very challenging circumstances to provide the best possible consultation to the employees.

“Comet Group Limited made significant efforts to consult with its nearly 7,000 employees across more than 250 sites during the administration, whilst a purchaser for the business was sought. Regrettably, it proved impossible to find a purchaser willing to save the business and all the employees ultimately had to be made redundant.”

Comet collapsed in late 2012, with the loss of more than 6,800 jobs.