The oldest profession is not accountancy

The accused was co-owner of a flat that had been used by members of a profession older than accountancy. He had no responsibility for paying the mortgage, received no rent of any kind, and did not live there. His co-accused had been somewhat more active in this business. The role of our forensic accountant was to measure what financial benefit his client had received from all of this. The Crown's accounting calculations were so inept that they could not, on this occasion, be used as a starting point. They covered a different period from that of the libel, and omitted details of important figures that could not otherwise be calculated. The Prosecution case stated that the accused had benefitted by some £78,000 over a period of less than two years from his involvement in this business. Examination by our forensic accountant showed that all but some £1,000 of bank lodgements could be definitely linked to legitimate sources, or was likely to come from these. In court, the accused was found not guilty, his co-accused apparently being the main target of the Prosecutor.