The Construction Audit and Cost Control Institute Announces Expanded Coverage of Bribery and Corruption

News provided by

Courtenay Thompson & Associates

Apr 30, 2014, 14:00 ET


Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 30, 2014 -- The highly acclaimed course, Construction Fraud: Detection, Prevention & Response has added more information on the impact of bribery on construction projects and cost, including:

  • Recognizing “nightmare” projects
  • Disguising payoffs
  • Influence peddling
  • Bribery indicators
  • The most effective bribes

Bribery and corruption impact not only the cost of construction, but also the quality and safety of the project delivered. Recent experiences in government and industry show an increased interest in bribery and corruption worldwide. Government crackdowns impact not only contractors but project owners as well.

  • Montreal investigations and testimony at the Charbonneau Commission have revealed the influence of organized crime, payoffs to politicians, and contractors manipulating the construction marketplace. The CBC has summarized their coverage in the Charbonneau Commission Timeline. (CBC Montreal, 3-26-2013)
  • One organization due credit for heightened interest in construction-related fraud is The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD has sought to discourage corruption, including calling for countries to not allow tax deductions for bribes paid. In November 2013, the current edition of Bribery & Corruption Awareness Handbook for Tax Examiners and Tax Auditors was issued. (OECD iLibrary, 11-7-2013)
  • The World Bank maintains a listing of debarred firms, which are ineligible to participate in World Bank funded projects for as long as ten years. (The World Bank, 4-29-2014)
  • The U.S. Justice Department continues to pursue DBE cases related to construction. In a recent case involving kickbacks the contractor was charged with and pled guilty to misprision of a felony rather than charges related to kickbacks. (Baton Rouge Advocate, 4-21-2014)
  • China’s anti-corruption campaign is pursuing corrupt officials at the highest and lower levels of government. (The Asahi Shimbun, 2-5-2014)

Understanding bribery and influence peddling is an important element in fighting construction fraud. Enhancing the course content will help attendees better address corruption often omitted from books and records.

About Courtenay Thompson & Associates
Courtenay Thompson & Associates (http://www.ctassoc.com) provides fraud-related education and advisory services. Current topics include fraud detection, prevention and investigation, fraud awareness for managers, construction fraud, and purchasing, contract and procurement fraud. Courses are designed to address situations and issues actually encountered. Seminars are led by instructors with extensive work experience in the topic being taught. Experience and solid course design combine with training expertise to assure a high quality learning experience.

The Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute
The Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute of Dallas, Texas has been providing public offering and in-house professional development training seminars in affiliation with Courtenay Thompson & Associates since 2008. The principal instructors (Courtenay Thompson and Rich Townsend) have been providing construction audit and fraud professional development training to management and auditors for over 20 years. CAACCI members include project management and construction audit representatives from a wide range of private and public organizations. For more information on our construction audit and construction fraud seminars, go to http://www.caacci.org.

Courtenay Thompson, Courtenay Thompson & Associates, http://www.ctassoc.com, +1 (214) 361-8346, [email protected]