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Investigation Of Funds Earmarked For Public Projects

Decent Essays

My letter is in response to your recent article bemoaning the fees charged by an accounting firm in conjunction with an investigation of funds earmarked for public projects in our community. Based on the information presented in the article, it appeared that the author did not properly appreciate the difference between “normal” accounting and forensic accounting. Additionally, the author did not appreciate the value provided by forensic accountants. The following addresses both of these information gaps.
Forensic accounting began as just a necessary solution to the age old problem: what arrows does someone have in their quiver to avoid, detect, and address fraud? Since then, forensic accounting has spun off from its brother, professional …show more content…

The court allowed an expert witness who had examined the bankrupt estate’s books to testify. This marked the first time that a forensic accountant had an established place in the modern economy. Later on, forensic accounting was used to detect tax evasion amongst businesses that attempted to hide earnings in bank accounts in multiple states and was originally a part of the United States Department of Justice. Over time, this government agency eventually became known as the FBI. With time the scope of the forensic accountants’ practice expanded, allowing them to help detect and prohibit the selling and trading of women and drug trafficking. Forensic accountants have been, and will continue to be, an important component of the society’s moral fabric. The link between forensic accounting and professional auditing begins and ends with the Fundamental Principles and the Specific Guidance Statements of Auditing for the forensic accountant. Professionals in both forensic accounting and independent external auditing must maintain integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, and professional behavior. These are the fundamental principles. Both types of accountants must have these principles, although there may be differences between the forensic accountant and the external auditor within how each of these five areas are applied in practice. For instance, both disciplines require integrity. For the external auditor,

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