- column
- Top Line
The Fraud Beat: It Pays to Be the Boss’s Wife
Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2009. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.
Related
IRS warns taxpayers: Social media advice can lead to costly penalties
Dealing with natural disasters: How to avoid fraudulent activities
Mitigate or exacerbate fraud risk? Culture’s critical role
TOPICS
The British government’s tax fraud department didn’t have to look too far afield to find an ethical lapse.
David Partridge, the COO of the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office, was fired for gross misconduct after awarding his wife what a government report termed a “lucrative” consultancy contract that paid her £100,000 (roughly $160,000).
A report about the situation by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee found shortcomings in internal controls allowed the contract to be awarded, according to several British media accounts. Additionally, the report said the agency’s director was “thrown into the deep end” when appointed from outside the public sector, because he lacked the necessary support, training and experience to identify or mitigate any risks that occurred.
