Accountant suspended for dishonest conduct…

The Disciplinary Tribunal of the Institute of Chartered Accountants has suspended an Accountant after he inserted his supervisor’s signature into a document and sent it to the client. He then lied to the supervisor on two occasions to cover his actions up.

The Accountant was asked by his supervisor to work on an urgent document for a client.

After completing the work, the Accountant was supposed to send the document back to the supervisor to review before it was sent back to the client.

Instead, the Accountant inserted the supervisor’s signature into the document and sent it to the client.

When the supervisor asked twice for an update about the work, the Accountant lied, stating that it was still being worked on, or was prepared and ready to go.

The Tribunal held that the Accountant intentionally misled his supervisor on both occasions, and that his actions amounted to serious misconduct, and combined with sending the report without authority, amounted to professional misconduct.

The Tribunal ordered the Accountant to be suspended for six months and to pay the costs of the disciplinary process, totaling $10,000.

Accountants are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and ethical conduct. Departing from these high standards may jeopardize their careers and result in expensive disciplinary proceedings.

If there are concerns about the ethics or honesty of an Accountant, it is wise to speak with a professional experienced in the area.

Leading law firms committed to helping clients cost-effectively will have a range of fixed-priced Initial Consultations to suit most people’s needs in quickly learning what their options are.  At Rainey Collins we have an experienced team who can answer your questions and put you on the right track.