(c) Assess how the fundamental ethical principles of IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants shouldbe applied to the provision of a forensic investigation service. (6 marks)
题目
(c) Assess how the fundamental ethical principles of IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants should
be applied to the provision of a forensic investigation service. (6 marks)
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更多“(c) Assess how the fundamental ethical principles of IFAC’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants shouldbe applied to the provision of a forensic investigation service. (6 marks)”相关问题
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第1题：
(c) Discuss the ethical responsibility of the company accountant in ensuring that manipulation of the statement
of cash flows, such as that suggested by the directors, does not occur. (5 marks)
Note: requirements (b) and (c) include 2 professional marks in total for the quality of the discussion.
正确答案：
(c) Companies can give the impression that they are generating more cash than they are, by manipulating cash flow. The way
in which acquisitions, loans and, as in this case, the sale of assets, is shown in the statement of cash flows, can change the
nature of operating cash flow and hence the impression given by the financial statements. The classification of cash flows
can give useful information to users and operating cash flow is a key figure. The role of ethics in the training and professional
lives of accountants is extremely important. Decision-makers expect the financial statements to be true and fair and fairly
represent the underlying transactions.
There is a fine line between deliberate misrepresentation and acceptable presentation of information. Pressures on
management can result in the misrepresentation of information. Financial statements must comply with International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the Framework and local legislation. Transparency, and full and accurate disclosure is
important if the financial statements are not to be misleading. Accountants must possess a high degree of professional
integrity and the profession’s reputation depends upon it. Ethics describe a set of moral principles taken as a reference point.
These principles are outside the technical and practical application of accounting and require judgement in their application.
Professional accountancy bodies set out ethical guidelines within which their members operate covering standards of
behaviour, and acceptable practice. These regulations are supported by a number of codes, for example, on corporate
governance which assist accountants in making ethical decisions. The accountant in Warrburt has a responsibility not to mask
the true nature of the statement of cash flow. Showing the sale of assets as an operating cash flow would be misleading if
the nature of the transaction was masked. Users of financial statements would not expect its inclusion in this heading and
could be misled. The potential misrepresentation is unacceptable. The accountant should try and persuade the directors to
follow acceptable accounting principles and comply with accounting standards. There are implications for the truth and
fairness of the financial statements and the accountant should consider his position if the directors insist on the adjustments
by pointing the inaccuracies out to the auditors. -
第2题：
4 Hogg Products Company (HPC), based in a developing country, was recently wholly acquired by American Overseas
Investments (AOI), a North American holding company. The new owners took the opportunity to completely review
HPC’s management, culture and systems. One of the first things that AOI questioned was HPC’s longstanding
corporate code of ethics.
The board of AOI said that it had a general code of ethics that HPC, as an AOI subsidiary, should adopt. Simon Hogg,
the chief executive of HPC, disagreed however, and explained why HPC should retain its existing code. He said that
HPC had adopted its code of ethics in its home country which was often criticised for its unethical business behaviour.
Some other companies in the country were criticised for their ‘sweat shop’ conditions. HPC’s adoption of its code of
ethics, however, meant that it could always obtain orders from European customers on the guarantee that products
were made ethically and in compliance with its own highly regarded code of ethics. Mr Hogg explained that HPC had
an outstanding ethical reputation both locally and internationally and that reputation could be threatened if it was
forced to replace its existing code of ethics with AOI’s more general code.
When Ed Tanner, a senior director from AOI’s head office, visited Mr Hogg after the acquisition, he was shown HPC’s
operation in action. Mr Hogg pointed out that unlike some other employers in the industry, HPC didn’t employ child
labour. Mr Hogg explained that although it was allowed by law in the country, it was forbidden by HPC’s code of
ethics. Mr Hogg also explained that in his view, employing child labour was always ethically wrong. Mr Tanner asked
whether the money that children earned by working in the relatively safe conditions at HPC was an important source
of income for their families. Mr Hogg said that the money was important to them but even so, it was still wrong to
employ children, as it was exploitative and interfered with their education. He also said that it would alienate the
European customers who bought from HPC partly on the basis of the terms of its code of ethics.
Required:
(a) Describe the purposes and typical contents of a corporate code of ethics. (9 marks)
正确答案：
(a) Purposes of codes of ethics
To convey the ethical values of the company to interested audiences including employees, customers, communities and
shareholders.
To control unethical practice within the organisation by placing limits on behaviour and prescribing behaviour in given
situations.
To be a stimulant to improved ethical behaviour in the organisation by insisting on full compliance with the code.
[Tutorial note: other purposes, if relevant, will be rewarded]
Contents of a corporate code of ethics
The typical contents of a corporate code of ethics are as follows:
Values of the company. This might include notes on the strategic purpose of the organisation and any underlying beliefs,
values, assumptions or principles. Values may be expressed in terms of social and environmental perspectives, and
expressions of intent regarding compliance with best practice, etc.
Shareholders and suppliers of finance. In particular, how the company views the importance of sources of finances, how it
intends to communicate with them and any indications of how they will be treated in terms of transparency, truthfulness and
honesty.
Employees. Policies towards employees, which might include equal opportunities policies, training and development,
recruitment, retention and removal of staff. In the case of HPC, the policy on child labour will be covered by this part of the
code of ethics.
Customers. How the company intends to treat its customers, typically in terms of policy of customer satisfaction, product mix,
product quality, product information and complaints procedure.
Supply chain/suppliers. This is becoming an increasingly important part of ethical behaviour as stakeholders scrutinise where
and how companies source their products (e.g. farming practice, GM foods, fair trade issues, etc). Ethical policy on supply
chain might include undertakings to buy from certain approved suppliers only, to buy only above a certain level of quality, to
engage constructively with suppliers (e.g. for product development purposes) or not to buy from suppliers who do not meet
with their own ethical standards.
Community and wider society. This section concerns the manner in which the company aims to relate to a range of
stakeholders with whom it does not have a direct economic relationship (e.g. neighbours, opinion formers, pressure groups,
etc). It might include undertakings on consultation, ‘listening’, seeking consent, partnership arrangements (e.g. in community
relationships with local schools) and similar.
[Tutorial note: up to six points to be identified and described but similar valid general contents are acceptable] -
第3题：
(c) Assess Mr Hogg’s belief that employing child labour is ‘always ethically wrong’ from deontological and
teleological (consequentialist) ethical perspectives. (9 marks)
正确答案：
(c) Mr Hogg’s belief that employing child labour is ‘always ethically wrong’
Deontological perspective:
In the case scenario, Mr Hogg is demonstrating a deontological position on child labour by saying that it is ‘always’ wrong.
He is adopting an absolutist rather than a relativist or situational stance in arguing that there are no situations in which child
labour might be ethically acceptable. The deontological view is that an act is right or wrong in itself and does not depend
upon any other considerations (such as economic necessity or the extent of the child’s willingness to work). If child labour is
wrong in one situation, it follows that it is wrong in all situations because of the Kantian principle of generalisability (in the
categorical imperative). Because child labour is wrong and potentially exploitative in some situations, the deontological
position says that it must be assumed to be wrong in all situations. The fact that it may cause favourable outcomes in some
situations does not make it ethically right, because the deontological position is not situational and the quality of the outcome
is not taken into account.
Teleological perspective:
According to the teleological perspective, an act is right or wrong depending on the favourableness of the outcome. It is
sometimes called the consequentialist perspective because the consequences of the action are considered more important
than the act itself.
In the teleological perspective, ethics is situational and not absolute. Therefore child labour is morally justified if the outcome
is favourable. The economic support of a child’s family by provision of wages for family support might be considered to be a
favourable outcome that justifies child labour. There is an ethical trade-off between the importance of the family income from
child labour and the need to avoid exploitation and interfere with the child’s education. Education is clearly important but
family financial support might be a more favourable outcome, at least in the short term, and if so, this would justify the child
working rather than being in school. For HPC, child labour is likely to be cheaper than adult labour but will alienate European
buyers and be in breach of its code of ethics. Child labour may be ethically acceptable if the negative consequences can be
addressed and overcome.
[Tutorial note: other, equally relevant points made in evaluating Mr Hogg’s opinion will be valid. The texts discuss teleology
in terms of utilitarianism and egoism. Although this distinction is not relevant to the question, candidates should not be
penalised for introducing the distinction if the other points raised are relevant] -
第4题：
(c) Explain how absolutist (dogmatic) and relativist (pragmatic) ethical assumptions would affect the outcome
of Anne’s decision. (6 marks)
正确答案：
(c) Absolutism and relativism
Absolutism and relativism represent two extreme positions of ethical assumptions.
Definitions
An absolutist assumption is one that believes that there are ‘eternal’ rules that should guide all ethical and moral decision
making in all situations. Accordingly, in any given situation, there is likely to be one right course of action regardless of the
outcome. An absolutist believes that this should be chosen regardless of the consequences or the cost. A dogmatic approach
to morality is an example of an absolutist approach to ethics. A dogmatic assumption is one that is accepted without
discussion or debate.
Relativist assumptions are ‘situational’ in nature. Rather than arguing that there is a single right choice, a relativist will tend
to adopt a pragmatic approach and decide, in the light of the situation being considered, which is the best outcome. This will
involve a decision on what outcome is the most favourable and that is a matter of personal judgment.
Outcomes
If Anne were to adopt absolutist/dogmatic assumptions, she would be likely to decide that she would need to pursue what
she perceives is the right course of action regardless of cost to herself or the relationship with the client or her manager. Given
that she unearthed a suspect and unaccounted-for payment, and that she received an inadequate explanation from the client,
she would probably recommend extension to the audit beyond the weekend.
If Ann were to adopt relativist or pragmatic assumptions, she would have a potentially much more complicated decision to
make. She would have to decide whether it was more important, ethically, to yield to the pressure from Zachary in the
interests of her short-term career interests or ‘hold out’ to protect the interests of the shareholders. Anne could recommend
sign off and trust the FD’s explanation but she is more likely to seek further evidence or assurance from the company before
she does so. -
第5题：
(c) Critically discuss the statement (in note 12) of the managing director of GBC and suggest how the company
could calculate the value of the service provision to the population of the Western region. (6 marks)
正确答案：
(c) It would appear that in operating a bus service to the Western region of Geeland that GBC is fulfilling a social objective since
a contribution loss amounting to $38,400 ($230,400 – $268,800) was made as a consequence of operating the route to
the Western region during 2007. As an organisation which is partially funded by the government it is highly probable that
GBC has objectives which differ from those of TTC which is a profit-seeking organisation.
The value of a social service such as the provision of public transport can be quantified, albeit, in non-financial times. It is
possible to apply quantitative measures to the bus service itself, the most obvious ones being the number of passengers
carried and the number of passenger miles travelled.
The cost of the provision of alternative transport to the Western region might also enable a value to be placed on the current
service by GBC.
It might be possible to estimate quantitatively some of the social benefits resulting from the provision of the transport facility
to and from the Western region. For example, GBC could undertake a survey of the population of the Western region in order
to help estimate the extent to which rural depopulation would otherwise have occurred had the transport facility not been
made.
The application of the technique of cost-benefit analysis makes it possible to estimate money values for non-monetary
benefits. Social benefits can therefore be expressed in financial terms. It is highly probable that the fact that the Western region
is served by GBC will increase the attractiveness of living in a rural area, which may in turn precipitate an increase in property
values in the Western region and the financial benefit could be expressed in terms of the aggregate increase in property values
in the region as a whole. -
第6题：
5 You are an audit manager in Bartolome, a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants. You have specific responsibility
for undertaking annual reviews of existing clients and advising whether an engagement can be properly continued.
The following matters have arisen in connection with recent assignments:
(a) Leon Dormido is the senior in charge of the audit of the financial statements of Moreno, a limited liability
company, for the year ending 30 June 2005. Moreno’s Chief Executive Officer, James Bay, has just sent you an
e-mail to advise you that Leon has been short-listed for the position of Finance Director. You were not previously
aware that Leon had applied for the position. (5 marks)
Required:
Comment on the ethical and other professional issues raised by each of the above matters and their implications,
if any, for the continuation of each assignment.
NOTE: The mark allocation is shown against each of the three issues.
正确答案：
5 BARTOLOME
(a) Senior audit staff leaving for employment with client
Ethical and professional issues
■ Leon’s independence is in doubt as he is threatened by self-interest. Leon’s objectivity in relation to the audit may be
influenced by a desire to please and impress Moreno, as a prospective employer.
■ There appears to be a lack of integrity on the part of James and/or Leon:
? Leon should have confided in an appropriately senior manager/partner of Bartolome. In not doing so he has
compromised the firm by having applied for a position with a client whilst assigned to the client.
? James may lack integrity in having advised Bartolome of the short-listing if he gave an undertaking to Leon not to
do so. (Conversely, James may be acting with integrity in advising Bartolome and as a matter of professional
courtesy.)
■ Leon should be removed from the audit assignment immediately regardless of whether or not he is finally appointed by
Moreno.
■ Leon should be given an oral warning (assuming this to be a first offence) for failing to adhere to Bartolome’s quality
control policies and procedures (requiring disclosure to the firm of any threat of involvement with an audit client).
■ The working papers for all interim audit work relating to Moreno performed under the supervision of Leon should be
reviewed as soon as possible, before the balance sheet date (at the end of the month).
Implications for continuation with assignment
The assignment can be properly continued with a new senior in charge of the audit of the financial statements for the year
ending 30 June 2005. Any planning of the year end and final audit work by Leon should be reviewed, amended as necessary
and approved before any further work is undertaken. -
第7题：
(c) The OECD’s Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) recommends preventative measures to be
taken by independent legal professionals and accountants (including sole practitioners, partners and employed
professionals within professional firms).
Required:
Describe FOUR measures that assist in preventing professional accountants from being used for money
laundering purposes. (8 marks)
正确答案：
(c) Measures
The following measures are designed to assist in preventing professional accountants from being used for money laundering
purposes:
■ developing programmes against money laundering and terrorist financing;
■ compliance officer;
■ employee training programme;
■ customer due diligence (CDD);
■ establishing/enhancing record keeping systems for:
– all transactions; and
– the verification of clients’ identities;
■ reporting of suspicious transactions;
■ refusing to have relationships with ‘shell banks’.
Tutorial note: Only FOUR are required.
Developing programmes
■ Internal policies, procedures and controls should be established and recorded including:
– compliance management arrangements (including appointment of a compliance officer);
– an ongoing employee training programme;
– an audit function to test the system.
Compliance officer
■ Appointing a compliance officer having a suitable level of seniority and experience (e.g. one of the principals of an
accountancy firm).
■ Making alternative arrangements (e.g. appointing a deputy) when the compliance officer is going to be unavailable for
a period of time (as reports have to be made as soon as is reasonably practicable).
■ The compliance officer being made responsible for:
– receiving and assessing money laundering reports from colleagues;
– making reports to the FIU; and
– ensuring that individuals are adequately trained.
Employee training programme
■ Providing an employee training programme on:
– relevant legislation (e.g. the main money laundering offences);
– ethical guidance (e.g. ACCA’s ‘Guidance for Accountants’); and
– the firm’s procedures to forestall and prevent money laundering.
■ Establishing a culture of complying with money laundering requirements.
■ Documenting the provision of training (to demonstrate compliance).
■ Training methods may effectively include:
– attending conferences, seminars and training courses run by external organizations; and
– participating in computer based training courses.
Customer due diligence (CDD)
■ Firms should not keep anonymous accounts or accounts in obviously fictitious names.
■ Firms should verify the identity of their customers, when:
– establishing business relations;
– carrying out occasional transactions (e.g. above a designated threshold);
– there is a suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing; or
– there is doubt about the reliability or adequacy of previously obtained customer identification data.
CDD measures should include:
■ Identifying the customer and verifying that customer’s identity using reliable, independent source documents, data or
information.
Tutorial note: Similarly identify and verify the beneficial owner.
■ Obtaining information on the purpose and intended nature of the business relationship.
■ Conducting ongoing due diligence on business relationships by scrutinising transactions to ensure that they are
consistent with the firm’s knowledge of:
– the customer;
– their business and risk profile;
– the source of funds.
Tutorial note: These requirements should apply to all new customers and existing customers on the basis of materiality and
risk.
Record keeping
■ Maintaining all client identification records together with a record of all transactions, in a full audit trail form.
■ Maintaining records of transactions (both domestic or international) in a readily retrievable form. for a period of at least
five years (to facilitate swift compliance with information requests from the competent authorities).
Tutorial note: Such records must be sufficient to permit reconstruction of individual transactions (including the
amounts and types of currency involved, if any) so as to provide, if necessary, evidence for prosecution of criminal
activity.
■ Retaining client verification records throughout the period of the relationship and for five years after termination of the
relationship.
■ Making available identification data and transaction records to domestic competent authorities upon appropriate
authority.
■ Applying ACCA’s Rules of Professional Conduct ‘Retention of books, files, working papers and other documents’.
■ Paying special attention to all complex, unusual large transactions, and all unusual patterns of transactions, which have
no apparent economic or visible lawful purpose (in accordance with ISA 240 ‘The Auditor’s Responsibility to Consider
Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements ’).
Client identification
■ For an individual – inspecting official documents, with a photograph, establishing the client’s full name and permanent
address, e.g:
– a driving licence or passport, supported by;
– a recent utility bill.
■ For the entity – obtaining from the Registrar of Companies:
– certificate of incorporation;
– company’s registered address; and
– a list of shareholders and directors.
■ Checking the names of new clients against lists of known terrorists and other sanctions information.
■ For trusts – ascertaining:
– the nature and purpose of the trust;
– the original source of funding; and
– the identities of the trustees/controllers, principal settlers and beneficiaries.
Suspicion reporting
■ Prompt reporting of suspicions to the (FIU) in a suspicious transaction report (STR).
■ There should be no ‘de minimis’ concessions. Reporting should be irrespective of:
– the amount involved; or
– whether tax matters are involved.
Tutorial note: Attempted transactions should also be reported.
■ Enhancing confidentiality of the source of reports by:
– disclosing the compliance officer only once; and
– not naming the personnel making reports to the compliance officer.
■ Disclosing further information only if:
– legally required to do so; or
– otherwise justified, in the public interest.
Shell banks
Tutorial note: A ‘shell bank’ is a bank incorporated in a jurisdiction in which it has no physical presence and which is
unaffiliated with a regulated financial group.
■ Firms should guard against relationships with parties that permit their accounts to be used by shell banks. -
第8题：
5 (a) IFAC’s ‘Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants’ is divided into three parts:
Part A – Applicable to All Professional Accountants
Part B – Applicable to Professional Accountants in Public Practice
Part C – Applicable to Employed Professional Accountants
Required:
Distinguish between ‘Professional Accountants’, ‘Professional Accountants in Public Practice’ and ‘Employed
Professional Accountants’. (3 marks)
正确答案：
5 BOLEYN & CO
(a) Professional Accountants
■ Professional Accountants are members of an IFAC member body. They may be:
– in public practice or employed professionals;
– a sole practitioner, partnership or corporate body.
■ Professional Accountants in Public Practice (‘practitioners’) are:
– each partner (or person occupying a position similar to that of a partner); and
– each employee in a practice providing professional services to a client irrespective of their functional classification
(e.g. audit, tax or consulting); and
– professional accountants in a practice having managerial responsibilities.
This term is also used to refer to a firm of professional accountants in public practice.
■ Employed Professional Accountants are professional accountants employed in industry, commerce, the public sector or
education. -
第9题：
(d) Discuss the professional accountant’s liability for reporting on prospective financial information and the
measures that the professional accountant might take to reduce that liability. (6 marks)
正确答案：
(d) Professional accountant’s liability
Liability for reporting on PFI
Independent accountants may be required to report on PFI for many reasons (e.g. to help secure a bank loan). Such forecasts
and projections are inherently unreliable. If the forecast or projection does not materialise, and the client or lenders (or
investors) consequently sustain financial loss, the accountant may face lawsuits claiming financial loss.
Courts in different jurisdictions use various criteria to define the group of persons to whom independent accountants may be
held liable for providing a report on an inaccurate forecast or projection. The most common of these are that an accountant
is liable to persons with whom there is proximity:
(i) only (i.e. the client who engaged the independent accountant);
(ii) or whose relationship with the accountant sufficiently approaches privity;
(iii) and to persons or members of a limited group of persons for whose benefit and guidance the accountant supplied the
information or knew that the recipient of the information intended to supply it;
(iv) and to persons who reasonably can be foreseen to rely on the information.
Measures to reduce liability
As significant assumptions will be essential to a reader’s understanding of a financial forecast, the independent accountant
should ensure that they are adequately disclosed and clearly stated to be the management’s responsibility. Hypothetical
assumptions should be clearly distinguished from best estimates.
The introduction to any forecast (and/or report thereon) should include a caveat that the prospective results may not be
attained. Specific and extensive warnings (‘the actual results … will vary’) and disclaimers (‘we do not express an opinion’)
may be effective in protecting an independent accountant sued for inaccuracies in forecasts or projections that they have
reported on.
Any report to a third party should state:
■ for whom it is prepared, who is entitled to rely on it (if anyone) and for what purpose;
■ that the engagement was undertaken in accordance with the engagement terms;
■ the work performed and the findings.
An independent accountant’s report should avoid inappropriate and open-ended wording, for example, ‘we certify …’ and ‘we
obtained all the explanations we considered necessary’.
Engagement terms to report on PFI should include an appropriate liability cap that is reasonable given the specific
circumstances of the engagement.
The independent accountant may be able to obtain indemnity from a client in respect of claims from third parties. Such ‘hold
harmless’ clauses obligate the client to indemnify the independent accountant from third party claims. -
第10题：
(ii) Discuss TWO problems that may be faced in implementing quality control procedures in a small firm of
Chartered Certified Accountants, and recommend how these problems may be overcome. (4 marks)
正确答案：
(ii) Consultation – it may not be possible to hold extensive consultations on specialist issues within a small firm, due to a
lack of specialist professionals. There may be a lack of suitably experienced peers to discuss issues arising on client
engagements. Arrangements with other practices for consultation may be necessary.
Training/Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – resources may not be available, and it is expensive to establish
an in-house training function. External training consortia can be used to provide training/CPD for qualified staff, and
training on non-exam related issues for non-qualified staff.
Review procedures – it may not be possible to hold an independent review of an engagement within the firm due to the
small number of senior and experienced auditors. In this case an external review service may be purchased.
Lack of specialist experience – where special skills are needed within an engagement; the skills may be bought in, for
example, by seconding staff from another practice. Alternatively if work is too specialised for the firm, the work could be
sub-contracted to another practice.
Working papers – the firm may lack resources to establish an in-house set of audit manuals or standard working papers.
In this case documentation can be provided by external firms or professional bodies. -
第11题：
(c) Identify and discuss the ethical and professional matters raised at the inventory count of LA Shots Co.
(6 marks)
正确答案：
(c) There are several ethical and professional issues raised in relation to the inventory count of LA Shots Co.
Firstly, it was inappropriate of Brenda Mangle to offer the incentive to the audit juniors. As she is a new manager, it may be
that she didn’t realise how the incentive would be perceived. Brenda should be informed that her actions could have serious
implications.
The offer could be viewed as a bribe of the audit juniors, and could be perceived as a self-interest independence threat as
there is a financial benefit offered to members of the audit team.
The value of the ten bottles of ‘Super Juice’ should be considered, as it is only appropriate for a member of the audit team to
accept any goods or hospitality from the audit client if the value is ‘clearly insignificant’. Ultimately it would be the decision
of the audit partner as to whether the value is clearly insignificant. It is likely that this does not constitute a significant threat
to independence, however the offer should still be referred to the audit partner.
Also, if the juniors took ten bottles of ‘Super Juice’, this could interfere with the physical count of goods and/or with cut off
details obtained at the count. The juniors should therefore have declined the offer and informed a senior member of the audit
team of the situation.
There may be a need to adequately train new members of staff on ethical matters if the juniors were unsure of how to react
to the offer.
The work performed by the juniors at the inventory count must be reviewed. The audit procedures were performed very
quickly compared to last year and therefore sufficient evidence may not have been gathered. In an extreme situation the whole
inventory count may have to be reperformed if it is found that the procedures performed cannot be relied upon.
In addition, the juniors should not have attended the audit client’s office party without the permission of the audit manager.
The party appears to have taken place during work time, when the juniors should have been completing the inventory count
procedures. The two juniors have not acted with due professional consideration, and could be considered to lack integrity.
The actions of the juniors should be discussed with them, possibly with a view to disciplinary action.
There may also be questions over whether the direction and supervision of the juniors was adequate. As the two juniors are
both recent recruits, this is likely to be the first inventory count that they have attended. It appears that they may not have
been adequately briefed as to the importance of the inventory count as a source of audit evidence, or that they have
disregarded any such briefing that was provided to them. In either case possibly a more senior auditor should have
accompanied them to the inventory count and supervised their actions. -
第12题：
(c) Prepare briefing notes, to be used by an audit partner in your firm, assessing the professional, ethical and
other issues to be considered in deciding whether to proceed with the appointment as auditor of Medix Co.
Note: requirement (c) includes 2 professional marks. (12 marks)
正确答案：
(c) Briefing notes
To: Audit partner
From: Audit manager
Subject: Issues to consider regarding appointment as auditor of Medix Co
Introduction
Medix Co has recently invited our firm to become appointed as auditor. These briefing notes summarise the main issues we
should consider in deciding whether to take the appointment a stage further. My comments are based on a discussion held
with Ricardo Feller, finance director of Medix Co, a discussion with the current audit partner, and information provided in the
local newspaper.
Legal actions and investigations
There are several indications that Medix Co has a history of non compliance with law and regulations. The former finance
director is claiming unfair dismissal, and in the past the local authority has successfully taken legal action against the
company and has a current case pending. In addition, there have been two tax investigations in recent years hinting at noncompliance
with relevant tax regulations.
There are two problems for us in taking on a client with a propensity for legal actions and investigations. Firstly, the reputation
of the company must be considered. If we become associated with the company through being appointed as auditor, we could
be ‘tarred with the same brush’ and our own reputation also tarnished.
Secondly, we could become quickly exposed to an advocacy independence threat, which clearly should be avoided. Our
ethical status should not be compromised for the sake of gaining a new audit client. Mick Evans only ‘believes’ that the tax
matter has been resolved by the directors, and we should avoid taking on a new client which is involved in an on-going
investigation.
Public interest
The problems noted above are compounded by the bad publicity which the company is currently receiving. The local press
contained a recent article discussing Medix Co’s past and current breach of planning regulations. Given the current level of
public interest in environmental issues, and emphasis on corporate responsibility, it would seem that Medix Co has a poor
public perception, which we would not want to be associated with.
Potential liability to lender
The company is currently negotiating a significant bank loan, and the lender will be using the audited financial statements to
make a decision on whether to advance a loan, and the terms of any finance that might be advanced to Medix Co. This means
that our audit opinion for the forthcoming year end will be scrutinised by the lender, and our firm is exposed to a relatively
high risk of liability to a third party. Given that this will be our first audit, and the limited time we have available (discussed
below) our firm may feel that the risk of this audit engagement is too high. Should the appointment be accepted, disclaimers
should be put in place to ensure that we could not be sued in the event of the bank suffering a financial loss as a result of
their lending decision.
Timeframe. and resources
It is currently the last month of the financial year. If we are appointed as auditor we need to work quickly to develop a thorough
understanding of the business, and to begin to plan the assignment. We need to consider whether our firm has sufficient
resources to put together an audit team so quickly without detracting from other client work currently being conducted.
To make this matter worse, Mick Evans states that Medix Co likes ‘a quick audit’, and we need to consider how to manage
this expectation, as first year audit procedures such as systems documentation, and developing business understanding tend
to take a long time. We must be careful that the client does not pressure us into a ‘quick audit’, which could compromise
quality.
Medix Co operates in a reasonably specialist and highly regulated industry, so our firm should take care to ensure we have
expertise in this industry.
Potentially aggressive management style
There are several indicators that the management may take a confrontational approach, such as the unfair dismissal claim
brought against the company by the ex-finance director. In addition, the auditors prior to Mick Evans resigned following a
disagreement with management. This history shows that we may find it difficult to establish a good working relationship with
the management. As the company is owner managed the presence of a dominant managing director exacerbates this problem.
Management bias
There is incentive for the financial statements to be manipulated in order to secure bank finance. There is considerable risk
of material misstatement which our firm may consider to be unacceptably high.
Internal systems and controls
The current auditors have found systems and controls to be poor, and management has not acted upon recommendations
made by the auditors. Of course this does not mean that we should not take on the assignment – many companies have
weak controls. However, if we did take on the appointment, we would not be able to rely on controls or use a controls based
approach for the audit. We would need to take a substantive approach to the audit. One practical issue here is availability of
staff to conduct the audit testing, as substantive procedures tend to be more time consuming than if we could have taken a
systems based approach.
Opening balances
In all new audit assignments, work must be conducted to verify the opening balances. Given the possible fraud and poor
controls described above, we would need to perform. detailed testing on the opening balances as there is a high risk of fraud
and/or error in previous accounting periods. We may also wish to consider the competence of the previous auditors, who
appeared to disregard potential fraud indicator (two cash books) and had only one audit client.
Fees
Mick Evans has made it clear that Medix Co’s management likes to keep a tight control on costs, and it may put pressure on
us to charge a low audit fee. We need to bear in mind the risks associated with this engagement, as discussed above, and
only take on this high risk audit if the audit fee is high enough to compensate.
We should also consider the cash flow problems being experienced by the company. As a business we need to ensure that
we only take on clients with a good credit rating, and it seems that Medix Co, operating with an overdraft, may not be able
to pay our invoices.
Indication of fraud or money laundering
Surely the most serious issue to consider is that Jon Tate, the managing director, has kept two cash books. We need further
detail on this, but it clearly could indicate a fraud being perpetrated at the highest level of management. The fact that he has
maintained two cash books could indicate money laundering activites taking place, especially when considered in the context
of an owner-managed business with overseas operations. If this were the ONLY problem discovered it could be deemed
serious enough to bring to an end our appointment process. It would be reckless for our firm to take on a client where the
managing director is a fraudster.
Conclusion
Further information is needed in many areas before a final decision is made. However, from the information we have gathered
so far, it appears that Medix Co would represent a high risk client, and our firm must therefore be very careful to assess each
problem noted above before deciding whether to proceed with the appointment. -
第13题：
(c) Mr Cobar, the chief executive of SHC, has decided to draft two alternative statements to explain both possible
outcomes of the secrecy/licensing decision to shareholders. Once the board has decided which one to pursue,
the relevant draft will be included in a voluntary section of the next corporate annual report.
Required:
(i) Draft a statement in the event that the board chooses the secrecy option. It should make a convincing
business case and put forward ethical arguments for the secrecy option. The ethical arguments should
be made from the stockholder (or pristine capitalist) perspective. (8 marks)
(ii) Draft a statement in the event that the board chooses the licensing option. It should make a convincing
business case and put forward ethical arguments for the licensing option. The ethical arguments should
be made from the wider stakeholder perspective. (8 marks)
(iii) Professional marks for the persuasiveness and logical flow of arguments: two marks per statement.
(4 marks)
正确答案：(c) (i) For the secrecy option
Important developments at SHC
This is an exciting time for the management and shareholders of Swan Hill Company. The research and development
staff at SHC have made a groundbreaking discovery (called the ‘sink method’) that will enable your company to produce
its major product at lower cost, in higher volumes and at a much higher quality than our competitors will be able to
using, as they do, the existing production technology. The sink process also produces at a lower rate of environmental
emissions which, as I’m sure shareholders will agree, is a very welcome development.
When considering the options following the discovery, your board decided that we should press ahead with the
investment needed to transform. the production facilities without offering the use of the technology to competitors under
a licensing arrangement. This means that once the new sink production comes on stream, SHC shareholders can, your
board believes, look forward to a significant strengthening of our competitive position.
The business case for this option is overwhelming. By pushing ahead with the investment needed to implement the sink
method, the possibility exists to gain a substantial competitive advantage over all of SHC’s competitors. It will place SHC
in a near monopolist position in the short term and in a dominant position long term. This will, in turn, give the company
pricing power in the industry and the likelihood of superior profits for many years to come. We would expect SHC to
experience substantial ‘overnight’ growth and the returns from this will reward shareholders’ loyalty and significantly
increase the value of the company. Existing shareholders can reasonably expect a significant increase in the value of
their holdings over the very short term and also over the longer term.
Ethical implications of the secrecy option
In addition to the overwhelming business case, however, there is a strong ethical case for the secrecy option. SHC
recognises that it is the moral purpose of SHC to make profits in order to reward those who have risked their own money
to support it over many years. Whilst some companies pursue costly programmes intended to serve multiple stakeholder
interests, SHC recognises that it is required to comply with the demands of its legal owners, its shareholders, and not
to dilute those demands with other concerns that will reduce shareholder returns. This is an important part of the agency
relationship: the SHC board will always serve the best economic interests of its shareholders: its legal owners. The SHC
board believes that any action taken that renders shareholder returns suboptimal is a threat to shareholder value and an
abuse of the agency position. Your board will always seek to maximise shareholder wealth; hence our decision to pursue
the secrecy option in this case. The secrecy option offers the possibility of optimal shareholder value and because
shareholders invest in SHC to maximise returns, that is the only ethical action for the board to pursue. Happily, this
option will also protect the employees’ welfare in SHC’s hometown of Swan Hill and demonstrate its commitment to the
locality. This, in turn, will help to manage two of the key value-adding resources in the company, its employees and its
reputation. This will help in local recruitment and staff retention in future years.
(ii) For the licensing option
Important developments at SHC
Your board was recently faced with a very difficult business and ethical decision. After the discovery by SHC scientists
of the groundbreaking sink production method, we had a choice of keeping the new production technology secret or
sharing the breakthrough under a licensing arrangement with our competitors. After a lengthy discussion, your board
decided that we should pursue the licensing option and I would like to explain our reasons for this on both business and
ethical grounds.
In terms of the business case for licensing, I would like shareholders to understand that although the secrecy option may
have offered SHC the possibility of an unassailable competitive advantage, in reality, it would have incurred a number
of risks. Because of the speed with which we would have needed to have acted, it would have necessitated a large
increase in our borrowing, bringing about a substantial change in our financial structure. This would, in turn, increase
liquidity pressures and make us more vulnerable to rising interest rates. A second risk with the secrecy option would
involve the security of the sink technology ‘secret’. If the sink process was leaked or discovered by competitors and
subsequently copied, our lack of a legally binding patent would mean we would have no legal way to stop them
proceeding with their own version of the sink process.
As well as avoiding the risks, however, the licensing option offers a number of specific business advantages. The royalties
from the licences granted to competitors are expected to be very large indeed. These will be used over the coming years
to extend our existing competitive advantage in the future. Finally, the ‘improvement sharing’ clause in the licensing
contract will ensure that the sink process will be improved and perfected with several manufacturers using the
technology at the same time. SHC’s sink production may, in consequence, improve at a faster rate than would have
been the case were we to have pursued the secrecy option.
Ethical implications of the licensing option
In addition to the business case, there is also a powerful ethical case for the decision we have taken. As a good,
responsible corporate citizen, Swan Hill Company acknowledges its many stakeholders and recognises the impacts that
a business decision has on others. Your board recognises that in addition to external stakeholders having influence over
our operations, our decisions can also affect others. In this case, we have carefully considered the likelihood that keeping
the new technology a secret from our competitors would radically reshape the industry. The superior environmental
performance of the sink process over existing methods will also mean that when fully adopted, the environmental
emissions of the entire industry will be reduced. SHC is very proud of this contribution to this reduction in overall
environmental impact.
There seems little doubt that the secrecy option would have had far-reaching and unfortunate effects upon our industry
and our competitors. The licensing option will allow competitors, and their employees and shareholders, to survive. It
is a compassionate act on our part and shows mercy to the other competitors in the industry. It recognises the number
of impacts that a business decision has and would be the fairest (and most just) option given the number of people
affected. -
第14题：
(b) ‘Strategic positioning’ is about the way that a company as a whole is placed in its environment and concerns its
‘fit’ with the factors in its environment.
With reference to the case as appropriate, explain how a code of ethics can be used as part of a company’s
overall strategic positioning. (7 marks)
正确答案：
(b) Code of ethics and strategic positioning
Strategic positioning is about the way that a whole company is placed in its environment as opposed to the operational level,
which considers the individual parts of the organisation.
Ethical reputation and practice can be a key part of environmental ‘fit’, along with other strategic issues such as generic
strategy, quality and product range.
The ‘fit’ enables the company to more fully meet the expectations, needs and demands of its relevant stakeholders – in this
case, European customers.
The ‘quality’ of the strategic ‘fit’ is one of the major determinants of business performance and so is vital to the success of
the business.
HPC has carefully manoeuvred itself to have the strategic position of being the highest ethical performer locally and has won
orders on that basis.
It sees its strategic position as being the ethical ‘benchmark’ in its industry locally and protects this position against its parent
company seeking to impose a new code of ethics.
The ethical principles are highly internalised in Mr Hogg and in the company generally, which is essential for effective strategic
implementation. -
第15题：
(iii) A statement on the importance of confidentiality in the financing of the early stage working capital needs
and an explanation of how this conflicts with the duty of transparency in matters of corporate
governance. (6 marks)
Professional marks for layout, logical flow and persuasiveness of the statement. (4 marks)
正确答案：
(iii) Importance of confidentiality in the financing of the project and the normal duty of transparency.
I have been asked to include a statement in my remarks on the balance between our duty to be transparent whenever
possible and the need for discretion and confidentiality in some situations. In the case of our initial working capital needs
for the Giant Dam Project, the importance of confidentiality in financing is due to the potential for adverse publicity that
may arise for the lender. It is important that R&M have the project adequately financed, especially in the early stages
before the interim payments from the client become fully effective.
In general, of course, we at R&M attempt to observe the highest standards of corporate governance and this involves
adopting a default position of transparency rather than concealment wherever possible. We recognise that transparency
is important to underpin investor confidence and to provide investors with the information they need to make fund
allocation decisions.
Whilst it is normal to disclose the amount of debt we carry at any given point (on the balance sheet), it is rarely normal
practice to disclose the exact sources of those loans. In the case of the financing of initial working capital for the Giant
Dam Project, I’m sure you will realise that in this unique situation, disclosure of the lender’s identity could threaten the
progress of the project. For this reason we must resist any attempts to release this into the public domain. We are aware
of one pressure group that is actively seeking to discover this information in order to disrupt the project’s progress and
we shall be taking all internal measures necessary to ensure they do not obtain the information.
Thank you for listening. -
第16题：
(ii) Suggest THREE other performance measures (not applied in (i)) which might be used to assess the
customer perspective of the balanced scorecard of GER. (3 marks)
正确答案：
(ii) Performance measures that may be used to assess the customer perspective of the balanced scorecard of GER include
the following:
Lost or damaged luggage per 1,000 passengers
Train cancellation rate
Denied boarding rate
Number of passenger complaints.
Note: Only three measures were required.
-
第17题：
(c) Explain how the introduction of an ERPS could impact on the role of management accountants. (5 marks)
正确答案：
(c) The introduction of ERPS has the potential to have a significant impact on the work of management accountants. The use of
ERPS causes a substantial reduction in the gathering and processing of routine information by management accountants.
Instead of relying on management accountants to provide them with information, managers are able to access the system to
obtain the information they require directly via a suitable electronic access medium.
ERPS integrate separate business functions in one system for the entire organisation and therefore co-ordination is usually
undertaken centrally by information management specialists who have a dual responsibility for the implementation and
operation of the system.
ERPS perform. routine tasks that not so long ago were seen as an essential part of the daily routines of management
accountants, for example perpetual inventory valuation. Therefore if the value of the role of management accountants is not
to be diminished then it is of necessity that management accountants should seek to expand their roles within their
organisations.
The management accountant will also control and audit the ERPS data input and analysis. Hence the implementation of ERPS
provides the management accountant with an opportunity to change the emphasis of their role from information gathering
and processing to that of the role of advisers and internal consultants to their organisations. This new role will require
management accountants to be involved in interpreting the information generated from the ERPS and to provide business
support for all levels of management within an organisation. -
第18题：
(b) Comment on the need for ethical guidance for accountants on money laundering. (4 marks)
正确答案：
(b) Need for ethical guidance
■ Accountants (firms and individuals) working in a country that criminalises money laundering are required to comply with
anti-money laundering legislation and failure to do so can lead to severe penalties. Guidance is needed because:
– legal requirements are onerous;
– money laundering is widely defined; and
– accountants may otherwise be used, unwittingly, to launder criminal funds.
■ Accountants need ethical guidance on matters where there is conflict between legal responsibilities and professional
responsibilities. In particular, professional accountants are bound by a duty of confidentiality to their clients. Guidance
is needed to explain:
– how statutory provisions give protection against criminal action for members in respect of their confidentiality
requirements;
– when client confidentiality over-ride provisions are available.
■ Further guidance is needed to explain the interaction between accountants’ responsibilities to report money laundering
offences and other reporting responsibilities, for example:
– reporting to regulators;
– auditor’s reports on financial statements (ISA 700);
– reports to those charged with governance (ISA 260);
– reporting misconduct by members of the same body.
■ Professional accountants are required to communicate with each other when there is a change in professional
appointment (i.e. ‘professional etiquette’). Additional ethical guidance is needed on how to respond to a ‘clearance’ letter
where a report of suspicion has been made (or is being contemplated) in respect of the client in question.
Tutorial note: Although the term ‘professional clearance’ is widely used, remember that there is no ‘clearance’ that the
incumbent accountant can give or withhold.
■ Ethical guidance is needed to make accountants working in countries that do not criminalise money laundering aware
of how anti-money laundering legislation may nevertheless affect them. Such accountants may commit an offence if,
for example, they conduct limited assignments or have meetings in a country having anti-money laundering legislation
(e.g. UK, Ireland, Singapore, Australia and the United States). -
第19题：
6 The explosive growth of investing and raising capital in the global markets has put new emphasis on the development
of international accounting, auditing and ethical standards. The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has
been at the forefront of the development of the worldwide accountancy profession through its activities in ethics,
auditing and education.
Required:
Explain the developments in each of the following areas and indicate how they affect Chartered Certified
Accountants:
(a) IFAC’s ‘Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants’; (5 marks)
正确答案：
6 DEVELOPMENTS AND CERTIFIED CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Tutorial note: The answer which follows is indicative of the range of points which might be made. Other relevant material will
be given suitable credit.
(a) IFAC’s ‘Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants’
Since its issue in 1996, IFAC’s ‘Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants’ (‘The Code’) has undergone several revisions
(1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005). IFAC holds the view that due to national differences (of culture, language, legal and
social systems) the task of preparing detailed ethical requirements is primarily that of the member bodies in each country
concerned (and that they also have the responsibility to implement and enforce such requirements).
In recognizing the responsibilities of the accountancy profession, IFAC considers its own role to be in providing guidance and
promoting harmonization. IFAC has established ‘The Code’ to provide a basis on which the ethical requirements for
professional accountants in each country should be founded.
IFAC’s conceptual approach is principles-based. It provides a route to convergence that emphasises the profession’s integrity.
This approach may be summarised as:
■ identifying and evaluating circumstances and relationships that create threats (e.g. to independence); and
■ taking appropriate action to:
– eliminate these threats; or
– reduce them to an acceptable level by the application of safeguards.
If no safeguards are available to reduce a threat to an acceptable level an assurance engagement must be refused or
discontinued.
This approach was first introduced to Section 8 of The Code, on independence, and is applicable to assurance engagements
when the assurance report is dated on or after 31 December 2004.
Further to the cases of Enron, Worldcom and Parmalat, IFAC issued a revised Code in July 2005 that applies to all professional
accountants, whether in public practice, business, industry or government2.
A member body of IFAC may not apply less stringent standards than those stated in the Code. The Code is effective from
30 June 2006.
Practicing accountants and members in business must maintain the high standards of professional ethics that are expected
by their professional bodies (such as ACCA). These developments codify current best practice in the wake of the
aforementioned recent corporate scandals.
The developments in The Code have wider application in that it:
■ applies to all assurance services (not just audit);
■ considers the standpoints of the firm and of the assurance team.
Since ACCA is a member-body of IFAC the elevation of The Code to a standard will affect all Chartered Certified Accountants.
. -
第20题：
6 Certain practices have developed that threaten to damage the integrity and objectivity of professional accountants and
the reputation of the accounting profession.
Required:
Explain the following practices and associated ethical risks and discuss whether current ethical guidance is
sufficient:
(a) ‘lowballing’; (5 marks)
正确答案：
6 CERTAIN PRACTICES
Tutorial note: The answer which follows is indicative of the range of points which might be made. Other relevant material will
be given suitable credit.
(a) ‘Lowballing’
Explanation of term
‘Lowballing’ is the ‘loss-leading’ practice in which auditors compete for clients by reducing their fees for statutory audits.
Lower audit fees are then compensated by the auditor carrying out more lucrative non-audit work (e.g. consultancy and tax
advice). Audits may even be offered for free.
Such ‘predatory pricing’ may undercut an incumbent auditor to secure an appointment into which higher price consultancy
services may be sold.
Ethical risks
There is a risk of incompetence if the non-audit work does not materialise and the lowballing firm comes under pressure to
cut corners or resort to irregular practices (e.g. the falsification of audit working papers) in order to ‘keep within budget’.
However, a lack of audit quality may only be discovered if the situation arises that the company collapses and the auditors
are charged with negligence.
If, rather than comprise the quality of the audit, an audit firm substantially increases audit fees, a fee dispute could arise. In
this case the client might refuse to pay the higher fee. It could be difficult then for the firm to take the matter to arbitration
if the client was misled. Thus an advocacy threat may arise.
Financial dependence is a direct incentive that threatens independence. A self-interest threat therefore arises when, having
secured the audit, the audit firm needs the client to retain its services in order to recoup any losses initially incurred.
The provision of many other services gives rise to a self-review threat (as well as a self-interest threat).
Sufficiency of current ethical guidance
In current ethical guidance, the fact that an accountancy firm quotes a lower fee than other tendering firms is not improper,
providing that the prospective client is not misled about:
– the precise range of services that the quoted fee is intended to cover; and
– the likely level of fees for any other work undertaken.
This is clearly insufficient to prevent the practice of lowballing.
Legal prohibitions on the provision of many non-audit services (e.g. bookkeeping, financial information systems design and
implementation, valuation services, actuarial services, internal audit (outsourced), human resource services for executive
positions, investment and legal services) should make lowballing a riskier pricing strategy. This may curb the tendency to
lowball.
Lowballing could be eliminated if, for example, auditors were required to act ‘exclusively as auditors’. Although regulatory
environments have moved towards this there is not a total prohibition on non-audit services. -
第21题：
5 (a) ‘In the case of an assurance engagement it is in the public interest and, therefore, required by this Code of Ethics,
that members of assurance teams … be independent of assurance clients’.
IFAC Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants
Required:
Define the term ‘assurance team’. (3 marks)
正确答案：
5 ETHICS COLUMN
(a) ‘Assurance team’
■ All members of the engagement team (for the assurance engagement);
■ All others within a firm who can directly influence the outcome of the assurance engagement, for example:
– those who recommend the compensation of, or who provide direct supervisory, management or other oversight of
the assurance engagement partner in connection with the performance of the assurance engagement;
– those who provide consultation regarding technical or industry specific issues, transactions or events for the
assurance engagement; and
– those who provide quality control for the assurance. -
第22题：
(b) With reference to CF Co, explain the ethical and other professional issues raised. (9 marks)
正确答案：
(b) There are several issues that must be addressed as a matter of urgency:
Extra work must be planned to discover the extent of the breakdown in internal controls that occurred during the year. It is
important to decide whether the errors were isolated, or continued through the accounting period and whether similar errors
have occurred in other areas e.g. cash receipts from existing customers or cash payments. A review of the working papers of
the internal audit team should be carried out as soon as possible. The materiality of the errors should be documented.
Errors discovered in the accounting systems will have serious implications for the planned audit approach of new customer
deposits. Nate & Co must plan to expand audit testing on this area as control risk is high. Cash deposits will represent a
significant class of transaction in CF Co. A more detailed substantive approach than used in prior year audits may be needed
in this material area if limited reliance can be placed on internal controls.
A combination of the time spent investigating the reasons for the errors, their materiality, and a detailed substantive audit on
this area means that the audit is likely to take longer than previously anticipated. This may have cost and recoverability
implications. Extra staff may need to be assigned to the audit team, and the deadline for completion of audit procedures may
need to be extended. This will need to be discussed with CF Co.
Due to the increased audit risk, Nate & Co should consider increasing review procedures throughout the audit. In addition CF
Co is likely to be a highly regulated company as it operates in financial services, increasing possible attention focused on the
audit opinion. These two factors indicate that a second partner review would be recommended.
A separate issue is that of Jin Sayed offering advice to the internal audit team. The first problem raised is that of quality control.
A new and junior member of the audit team should be subject to close direction and supervision which does not appear to
have been the case during this assignment.
Secondly, Jin Sayed should not have offered advice to the internal audit team. On being made aware of the errors, he should
have alerted a senior member of the audit team, who then would have decided the action to be taken. This implies that he
does not understand the limited extent of his responsibilities as a junior member of the audit team. Nate & Co may wish to
review the training provided to new members of staff, as it should be made clear when matters should be reported to a senior,
and when matters can be dealt with by the individual.
Thirdly, Jin Sayed must be questioned to discover what exactly he advised the internal audit team to do. Despite his academic
qualification, he has little practical experience in the financial information systems of CF Co. He may have given inappropriate
advice, and it will be crucial to confirm that no action has been taken by the internal audit team.
The audit partner should consider if Nate & Co are at risk because of the advice that has been provided by Jin Sayed. As he
is a member of the audit team, his advice would be considered by the client as advice offered by Nate & Co, and the partner
should ascertain by discussion with the client whether this advice has been acted upon.
Finally Nate & Co should consider whether as a firm they could provide the review of the financial information technology
system, as requested by CF Co. IFAC’s Code of Ethics, and ACCA’s Code of Ethics and Conduct places restrictions on the
provision of non-audit services. Nate & Co must be clear in what exactly the ‘review’ will involve.
Providing a summary of weaknesses in the system, with appropriate recommendations is considered part of normal audit
procedures. However, given the errors that have arisen in the year, CF Co may require Nate & Co to design and implement
changes to the system. This would constitute a self-review threat and should only be considered if significant safeguards are
put in place, for example, using a separate team to provide the non-audit service and/or having a second partner review of
the work. -
第23题：
2 (a) Define the following terms:
(i) Forensic Accounting;
(ii) Forensic Investigation;
(iii) Forensic Auditing. (6 marks)
正确答案：
2 Crocus Co
(a) (i) Forensic accounting utilises accounting, auditing, and investigative skills to conduct an examination into a company’s
financial statements. The aim of forensic accounting is to provide an accounting analysis that is potentially suitable for
use in court. Forensic accounting is an umbrella term encompassing both forensic investigations and forensic audits. It
includes the audit of financial information to prove or disprove a fraud, the interview process used during an
investigation, and the act of serving as an expert witness.
Tutorial note: Forensic accounting can be used in a very wide range of situations, e.g. settling monetary disputes in
relation to a business closure, marriage break up, insurance claim, etc. Credit will be awarded for any reasonable
examples provided.
(ii) A forensic investigation is a process whereby a forensic accountant carries out procedures to gather evidence, which
could ultimately be used in legal proceedings or to settle disputes. This could include, for example, an investigation into
money laundering. A forensic investigation involves many stages (similar to an audit), including planning, evidence
gathering, quality control reviews, and finally results in the production of a report.
(iii) Forensic auditing is the specific use of audit procedures within a forensic investigation to find facts and gather evidence,
usually focused on the quantification of a financial loss. This could include, for example, the use of analytical
procedures, and substantive procedures to determine the amount of an insurance claim.