The former chief financial officer of bankrupt email security business GigaTrust faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of $50 million by impersonating auditors and fabricating reports.
Accounting & Auditing
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Former SPAC CFO pleads guilty to embezzlement scheme
Cooper Morgenthau, the former chief financial officer of African Gold Acquisition Corp., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud after embezzling more than $5 million for personal stock and cryptocurrency ventures.
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PCAOB enforcement roundup: Grant Thornton fined in disclosure crackdown
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced several notable enforcement actions last week, including sanctions against six firms for allegedly violating agency reporting requirements.
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Deloitte fined $1.1M for SIG audit lapses
Deloitte received a penalty of £906,250 (U.S. $1.1 million) from the U.K. Financial Reporting Council for evidence failures regarding supplier rebates and cash uncovered in its 2015 and 2016 financial year audits at specialist building product distributor SIG.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
PCAOB 2021 inspection reports: PwC sees best results again; EY deficiencies increase
For the second straight year, PwC fared the best among inspection results released by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for the largest U.S. audit firms, including each of the Big Four, Grant Thornton, and BDO.
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Exela Technologies, ex-CFO settle SEC control failure charges
Texas-based IT firm Exela Technologies and its former CFO settled charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging failure to properly account for and record liabilities related to a shareholder lawsuit.
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PCAOB announces ‘complete access’ to audit papers of Chinese firms
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced it received “complete access to inspect and investigate” audit firms in China and Hong Kong, potentially averting the delisting of hundreds of Chinese public companies from U.S. exchanges.
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ESG oversight highlighted in annual audit committee transparency report
Public companies continue to increase the overall level of audit committee disclosures in proxy statements, though there is room to improve quality by providing more tailored disclosures and transparency, according to the latest annual report.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Challenges for SPACs: Public company, now what?
Special purpose acquisition company transactions have unique risks and require awareness of what it takes to operate as a public business. Internal controls, governance, technology, and more are essential.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
Three KPMG firms disciplined in $7.7M enforcement sweep
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced $7.7 million in total penalties against three separate KPMG firms and four individuals for varying violations of audit standards and ethical rules, including alleged exam cheating.
