Ex-KPMG trainee admits £25,000 expenses fraud

A former KPMG employee has been banned from provisional membership of the ICAEW after he admitted submitting more than £25,000 in false expense claims.

Vikas Gupta of Urmston in Manchester had been employed by KPMG on a short term contract after failing his accountancy exams when the firm discovered he had falsely claimed expenses.

Gupta said he had made the claims, under various internal cost codes, to fund online gambling and pay off debts.

He then entered into an IVA after failing to repay the firm.

Gupta said he had suffered depression, was now attending Gambling Anonymous and employed by a new firm.

The tribunal recommended that Gupta be ineligible for re-registration in provisional membership for 12 months and severely reprimanded.

It made no order of costs against him due to his lack of means.