Where has the money come from?

Yet again the work of the forensic accountant has come to the public’s attention via television. In this week’s episode of Shetland, DI Jimmy Perez asks one of his sergeants to get ‘the forensic team’ to find out how a suspect in a people trafficking case made his money.

In the TV show, the outwardly respectable businessman Graeme Benson is originally from Shetland but now lives in Glasgow. When DI Perez visits him at his palatial home, he finds his manner suspicious, so asks a colleague back on the island to investigate his finances. She discovers that the businesses he owns do not look solvent enough to support such a lavish lifestyle and also that he is the beneficial owner of a property on Shetland that is key to the trafficking investigation.

Forensic financial investigations quite often start with the numbers not adding up. So, for example, if an employee on a modest salary suddenly starts spending lavishly or going on expensive holidays at the same time that money is disappearing at work, then alarm bells might ring and the business owners could well call in the forensic accountants.

These experts have a wealth of experience in such cases and will investigate the financial history of the person suspected, as well as conducting interviews and going through other documentation. The independent nature of the investigation also means that, should the individual in question be spending because they have just had a win on the Lottery or been in receipt of an inheritance, that will come out too, so anyone who has nothing to hide should have no fear of an investigation. It looks as though Mr Benson does not fall into this camp, however.

Roger Isaacs, Forensic Partner at Milsted Langdon said: “A forensic investigation is a great way to discover the origin of finances when circumstances don’t add up.

“If you believe that a forensic investigation might be the best way forward for you then contact Milsted Langdon today.”

Author: Roger Isaacs 1 March 2019

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