As a forensic accountant, it is important to be mindful of the ethics required from the position. Some cases have a high level of public interest, and therefore come with an extra level of scrutiny
As a forensic accountant, it is important to be mindful of the ethical behaviour that is expected from the position. Forensic accountants are required to be a neutral party in investigations, relying on the facts and figures to determine whether there has been wrongdoing.
As a party-appointed expert in legal cases, the duty of the forensic accountant is to the court, so despite potentially being appointed by one particular party, it is important to remain neutral.
As described in the ‘Skills’ video of this video series, in which Accountancy Age spoke to Chris Osborne, Partner and head of forensic services at FRP, a good understanding of the law and legal process is a very helpful skill to have, especially in such cases.
In this video, Osborne talks about the importance of neutrality and the ethics he is required to uphold in his work.
He also reflects on his time on secondment at the Serious Fraud Office, and how working there meant being involved in some high-profile cases.
Osborne compares working in forensic accounting in the private and public sector, and how the role differs between the two.
Osborne joined FRP in 2016 to set up the forensic accounting practice at the firm and has over 20 years of experience working on disputes, fraud, bribery and corruption investigations.
Over the course of those two decades, he spent three years on secondment with the Serious Fraud Office as a forensic accountant, and a secondment to the Financial Services Authority as a financial investigator. Osborne is a fellow at the ICAEW and has an LLB Law degree.
He says that during his time, he has never experienced a point when the work was not stimulating and challenging.