GUEST BLOG: Here is an obvious point—internal controls are intended to ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures. Internal controls are not just for show, or not just limited to financial reporting. A compliance program is a subset of a company’s internal controls. So, all this is well and good. […]
The next time a CEO or board member questions the value of internal audit and compliance, just point to the colossal sum of cash that Goldman Sachs is shelling out to settle bribery and corruption charges. The investment bank agreed to pay a whopping $2.9 billion, with a “B,” to […]
Boston pharmaceutical company Alexion agreed to a $21 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding allegations that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act regulations in its dealings via subsidiaries in Turkey and Russia. The SEC alleged that Alexion subsidiaries in Turkey made payments to foreign officials for […]
The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that Ohio-based pharmaceutical company Cardinal Health has agreed to pay more than $8 million to resolve charges that it violated the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). According to the SEC’s order, Cardinal’s internal […]
Aircraft company Airbus has agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $3.9 billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. It is the largest settlement arising from bribery charges ever. The Department of Justice said in a statement that the […]
It is difficult today to avoid news about allegations and subsequent investigations. First, it was a slew of high profile allegations about sexual misconduct—which continues. More recently, it’s about abuse of power in the government. And rarely a day goes by without some news of a financial fraud, bribery, or […]
When the Securities and Exchange Commission announced last week that it was settling charges against printing and graphics company Quad/Graphics Inc., it cited multiple internal audit and compliance failures as contributing factors in securities law and bribery violations by the company. The Wisconsin-based digital and print marketing provider has agreed […]
Look over any list of big-company chief audit executives, and you will see several that also have the title of chief compliance officer, head of risk management, and other roles. With so much responsibility already residing with those who oversee internal audit, it’s a wonder they have time for anything […]
Ten things that internal audit can do when working with compliance to leverage the qualities of both functions There has been plenty written about the relationship between internal audit and compliance—from analyzing functional differences to advocating integration between the two. This continued discussion is mainly because the two functions have […]
It wouldn’t take an internal auditor long to spot the internal control problem with the former spending approval process at Wescom Solutions. An accounting manager, Nadia Minetto, was responsible for approving all spending on company cards at the Mississauga, Ontario-based software company, including her own. That means if she made […]
