Why the instruction of a Forensic Accountant is imperative in directing the successful trajectory of a Complex Financial Crime Case

The instruction of a Forensic Accountant in an alleged Conspiracy to Defraud and HMRC cheat, proved to be a key factor in securing Not Guilty verdicts.

The expert forensic accountant was tasked to focus on the material and schedules underpinning the alleged tax evasion and failure to keep proper accounting records charges. The defence successfully reduced the original 15 indicted counts to 2 by the outset of the trial.  

The expert forensic accountant's instruction provided the defence team with evidence to establish that HMRC had been charged with tax evasion without first quantifying the loss and/or specifying values. The ensuing defence classificatory requests, drafted with expert assistance on the specialised subject matter, resulted in the prosecuting agencies' expert conceding defence figures.  

The instruction of the forensic accountant enabled the defence to demonstrate evidence that the client had received no financial benefit from his alleged involvement in the indicted counts.

Narita Bahra KC & Ranjit Lallie were instructed by Hamraj Kang at Kangs Solicitors. 

The defence team instructed Gavin Cunningham at Menzies. 

"I have had the pleasure over several years of working with Narita Bahra KC on this case having been instructed as an Expert Witness by Kangs, Solicitors in 2019. I think the five years I was involved in this capacity before commencement of trial may be a personal record, the length of time taken perhaps being a testament to how unnecessarily complicated it can be for the prosecution when the police and HMRC work on overlapping but independently focussed investigations which they then try to combine into one unified case".