2022 Investigations & White-Collar Crime POWER PLAYERS Issue Is Out Now!

2022 Investigations & White-Collar Crime

• 2022 Investigations & White-Collar Crime Power Players issue is out. Corporate Research and Investigations Limited were featured in this year Financier Worldwide’s Power Players issue.
• In this edition, CRI® Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Zafar Anjum, talks about his career’s achievements, what the organisation strives to demonstrate to clients and how he sees the investigations a white-collar crime market shaping up over the coming months and all the exciting trends or developments on the horizon.
• Having dedicated his career to background investigation, fraud prevention, protective integrity, security and compliance, Zafar Anjum is a distinguished and highly respected professional in his field.

As CEO of CRI Group™, Zafar uses his extensive knowledge and expertise to create stable and secure networks across challenging global markets. For organisations needing comprehensive project management, security, safeguard testing, background investigations, and real-time compliance applications, Anjum is the assurance expert of choice for industry professionals. Such expertise is increasingly important as a result of COVID-19 – with a long list of countries worldwide still facing significant economic disruption, insecurity and suffering, which has created an increased risk of bribery and corruption. News in the past years showed that many governments began to implement measures to combat these implications from the global pandemic:

Kenyan Anti-bribery and Anti-Corruption laws

“In 2020, it was reported [by Global Compliance News] that the Kenyan Government is in the process of implementing harsher corruption and bribery laws in an attempt to curb the current statistics within the country. The Kenyan Government is concerned with preventing bribery and corruption, perhaps to ensure the appropriate allocation of resources in these unprecedented times. A proposed amendment to the Bribery Act, which is currently being tabled in Parliament, seeks to allow for the imposition of a fine amounting to KSh 5 million (circa USD 46,939) or for a period of imprisonment not exceeding ten years, where an individual is aware of, or suspects bribery taking place and fails to report it.”

US Abuse of Power Prevention Act

In 2020, the House Judiciary Committee held a mark-up of a new bill, the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act, as US congress aims to eliminate the tolerance of alleged corruption and bribery undertaken by the current or former presidents. “Section Three of the bill amends the federal bribery statute to make clear that a (former) president can be prosecuted for accepting a bribe in exchange for a pardon… The House also introduced a related bill; the No President is Above the Law Act.”

French Compliance Legislation

The French government has also been working on implementing anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation in 2020 for the first time since 2016 adapted and improved their white-collar crime standards. As stated in a Global Investigations Review by Lexology, “in anti-bribery compliance, in particular, the recently created French Anticorruption Agency (AFA) keeps building on Sapin II by providing guidance on specific topics, auditing compliance programmes and for the first time… bringing cases in front of its sanctions board.”

Against this backdrop, Financier Worldwide turns to come of the leading lights in their field (including our CEO), who share their stories. A pre-release version of “POWER PLAYERS Investigations & White-Collar Crime 2022 – Exceptional Experts” is now available to view. Please click here to access the file.

The Security Of Your Company Depends On Effective Risk Management

Background investigations are critical to any company’s success because working with qualified, honest and hard-working employees and other businesses is integral to thriving in the business community. What you don’t know can hurt you, and the simple act of one bad decision can result in an unprecedented loss for your company. 

From vendor and third-party screening to employment screening, CRI Group™ recommends background investigations as critical proactive measures to help keep your business safe. An effective background screening investigation will help screen for bad apples that can cause havoc down the road. Because we maintain a diverse talent base comprised of multilingual and multi-cultural professionals, CRI™ can traverse obstacles that often impede international background investigations. That’s why we are frequently contracted by our competitors to conduct background investigations in geographic regions not serviced or accessible by larger investigative firms. Contact CRI Group™ to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

Who is CRI Group™?

Based in London, CRI Group™ works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background-screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group™ also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

In 2016, CRI Group™ launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC™) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body that provides education and certification services for individuals and organisations on a wide range of disciplines and ISO standards, including ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management- Guidelines; ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organisations; ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management System; ISO 37301:2021 (formerly ISO 19600) Compliance Management system (CMS); Anti-Money Laundering (AML); and ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems ABMS. ABAC™ offers a complete suite of solutions designed to help organisations mitigate the internal and external risks associated with operating in multi-jurisdiction and multi-cultural environments while assisting in developing frameworks for strategic compliance programs. Contact ABAC™ for more on ISO Certification and training.

ABAC™ is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS CB number: 10613) against ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of the scheme’s management systems of ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS). This makes ABAC™ Certification the leading accredited certification body specialising in global anti-bribery and anti-corruption, risk and compliance management system standards. ABAC™ experts audit any existing compliance and anti-bribery anti-corruption management systems to assess effectiveness and vulnerabilities while ensuring your organisation complies with Internal Standards, FCPA, UK Bribery Act, Anti-Money Laundering regulations, and all other global, regional and local regulations while maintaining a competitive edge in the world marketplace.

If you are seeking to validate or expand your existing compliance frameworks to maintain a competitive edge in the world marketplace, ABAC™ can help you. Our experts audit your existing compliance and anti-bribery anti-corruption management systems to assess effectiveness and vulnerabilities while ensuring your organisation complies with Internal Standards, FCPA rules, UK Bribery Act laws, Anti-Money Laundering regulations, and all other global, regional and local regulations.

Let’s talk

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Our CEO has been Invited to Speak at The Fraud Outlook 2022 Webinar

The Fraud Outlook 2022 Webinar

Corporate Research and Investigations Limited (CRI Group™) is delighted to unveil our place at The Fraud Outlook 2022 Webinar, which is being held from 12:00 to 13:00 on Wednesday 23 February on Zoom. We’re delighted to be involved. Book your seat now!

Our CEO has been invited to speak at the Fraud Advisory Panel forthcoming webinar, which will take a forward look at some of the current and emerging global fraud threats and what they mean for practitioners. It will provide a timely update on:

• The current fraud landscape in Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia
• Key insights into anticipated fraud trends over the next 12 to 18 months
• Implications for counter fraud professionals and businesses.

 If you are a counter-fraud professional or a future fraud professional, or you are simply an interested stakeholder, we invite you to join us online. Book your seat now!

Guest speakers are:

Olivia Allison, Senior Managing Director, K2 Integrity

Olivia is a senior managing director in the Investigations and Risk Advisory practice for K2 Integrity, resident in London. She has extensive expertise helping large private, state-owned and publicly listed companies carry out investigations into fraud, bribery, corruption and other misconduct. Olivia has also worked closely with a range of entities to improve their governance and controls, including in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other emerging markets. Her practice has been particularly focused on oil and gas, mining and extractive industries, as well as healthcare, retail and financial services.

Joanne Taylor, Senior Managing Director, K2 Integrity

Joanne, a senior managing director at K2 Integrity, has 20 years of legal, investigations and financial crime compliance experience, which includes fraud risk management, anti-bribery and corruption, regulatory enforcement and investigations experience working within the financial and legal services industries. She has extensive experience in leading investigations relating to conduct issues, fraud, bribery & corruption and AML, and her previous roles have included Global Head of Whistleblowing and Global Deputy Head of Anti-Fraud Bribery & Corruption at a major European bank.

Zafar Anjum, CEO, CRI Group™

Zafar is the chief executive of Corporate Research and Investigations (CRI Group™) – building a 32 years’ career in anti-corruption, fraud prevention, protective integrity, security and compliance, Zafar Anjum is a highly respected professional in his field. As a trusted authority in fraud prevention and securities among corporate clients, government agencies and industry groups, he is known for creating stable and secure networks across challenging global markets.

With an impressive educational background coupled with his industry expertise, Zafar Anjum is often the first certified global investigator on the scene when multi-national EMEA corporations seek to close compliance or security gaps.

Starting his educational background in 1989 with his Bachelor of Arts Degree; he then went on to earn a Master of Science in Counter Fraud and the Counter Corruption University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom along with specialized knowledge and certification in Fraud Investigations, Fraud and Financial Crimes, Corporate Fraud Control and Anti-Corruption. He was also awarded with Distinction in Master of Fraud and Financial Crime and included in Executive Dean’s List of 2016 by Charles Sturt University, Australia.

All while continuing to earn his LL.M Legal Practice (Intellectual Property) from the University of Law in the United Kingdom, which he was completed in February 2019. Alongside enhanced further capabilities and competencies, specifically in the Bribery Risk Assessment framework, he has ICA International Diploma in Governance Risk and Compliance, ICA International Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering and ICA International Diploma in Financial Crime Prevention from the International Compliance Training Academy in the United Kingdom which is mapped and are also awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester.

His training and business acumen give Zafar Anjum in-depth precision when dealing with fraud risk management, security consultations, crime investigations, crisis management, risk governance, event security and strategic threat management for industry leaders seeking proactive long-term risk prevention.

His leadership abilities create strong collaborative relationships among prevention teams, crime investigators, government officials, and business executives seeking dynamic solutions across international marketplaces.

For industries needing large project management, safeguard testing and real-time compliance applications, Zafar Anjum is the assurance expert of choice for industry professionals. CRI Group™ invites you to schedule a quick chat with Zafar to discuss any current and emerging global fraud threats to your organisation.

GET IN TOUCH:

e: zanjum@crigroup.com | LinkedIn 
t: +44 207 6861415 | m: +44 (0)7588 454959
Reach out for solutions in EMEA, APAC, Americas
Languages spoken: English, Urdu

CRI® Group invites you to schedule a quick appointment with us to discuss in more detail how our risk management solutions can help you and your organisation. 

BOOK A MEETING NOW!

The Fraud Outlook 2022 Webinar Agenda:

Details: UK time

Delegates: Counter fraud professionals/future fraud professionals and other interested stakeholders

Costs: Free FAP/FFPN members; £25 + VAT Non-members

BOOK YOUR SEAT NOW

About Fraud Advisory Panel

The Fraud Advisory Panel is a respected, influential and independent voice of the anti-fraud community. We champion best practices in fraud prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution and help people and organizations to protect themselves against fraud. Our members are drawn from all sectors – public, private and voluntary – and many different professions who are united by a common concern about fraud and a determination to do something about it.

Who is CRI Group™?

Based in London, CRI Group™ works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background-screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group™ also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

In 2016, CRI Group™ launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC™) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301:2021 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC™ operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC™ for more on ISO Certification and training.

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Q&A: Corporate Fraud and Corruption in UK is Growing, FAST!

Corporate fraud and corruption is growing in United Kingdom (UK). In a devastating article, Oliver Bullough proved that UK is quickly becoming the money-laundering capital of the world. In addition, the most recent The Guardian article “If you think the UK isn’t corrupt, you haven’t looked hard enough” by George Monbiot highlighted that billions of pounds of COVID-19 contracts issued by the government without competition, have reportedly cost taxpayers £800 for every protective overall delivered, and appear to have been issued to dormant companies, with several of them have benefited from this largesse are closely linked to senior figures in the government.  Read more about the situation in UK in the answers to the following questions:

• To what extent are boards and senior executives in UK taking proactive steps to reduce incidences of fraud and corruption from surfacing within their company?
• Have there been any significant legal and regulatory developments relevant to corporate fraud and corruption in UK over the past 12-18 months?
• When suspicions of fraud or corruption arise within a firm, what steps should be taken to evaluate and resolve the potential problem?
• Do you believe companies are paying enough attention to employee awareness, such as training staff to identify and report potential fraud and misconduct?
• How has the renewed focus on encouraging and protecting whistleblowers changed the way companies manage and respond to reports of potential wrongdoing?
• and much more…

Q. To what extent are boards and senior executives in your region taking proactive steps to reduce incidences of fraud and corruption from surfacing within their company?

Anjum: Business leaders in the UK recognise that being proactive against fraud and corruption is about more than just protecting the business – which is critical – but it is also a key component of growing and connecting to more opportunities. According to the World Bank, business grows an average of 3 percent faster where corruption is low. One way for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to preventing bribery and corruption is to engage in ISO 37001 certification. We expect to see more UK companies seeking certification and we expect this trend to increase as organisations look to set themselves apart from their competitors.

Q. Have there been any significant legal and regulatory developments relevant to corporate fraud and corruption in UK?

Anjum: Perhaps the biggest development, by extension, was the official beginning of the Brexit process and its potential impact on how the region continues to enforce and regulate against bribery and corruption. While the UK has a solid record thus far in combating fraud, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently warned that pressure from businesses to weaken bribery laws, coupled with an inability of the government to focus on non-Brexit issues, have increased the risks that bribery and corruption could increase.

The civil society group Corruption Watch has voiced similar complaints and has noted with concern new settlements that allow companies to resolve investigations with just a fine and an apology. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is tasked with policing this volatile landscape, and does so at a time when it has just appointed an interim director, pending the appointment of a new permanent director.

The shifting economic conditions surrounding Brexit have raised uncertainty and vulnerability. Learn how the “Brexit Poses New Bribery & Corruption Challenges” with this ebook. READ MORE!

Q. When suspicions of fraud or corruption arise within a firm, what steps should be taken to evaluate and resolve the potential problem?

Anjum: Any allegation of fraud, including bribery and other forms of corruption, is very serious and requires expert handling. Only those trained in investigative techniques, including thorny issues such as evidence collection and the interviewing of witnesses and suspects, should be engaged to help establish the facts of the case.

To be clear, not all suspicions lead to fraud – trained investigators understand this, and will approach any allegations from an objective, fact-finding point of view. One critical thing to remember is that companies do not get a chance for a ‘do over’ if they bungle an investigation.

Q. Do you believe companies are paying enough attention to employee awareness, such as training staff to identify and report potential fraud and misconduct?

Anjum: We definitely see awareness of fraud and corruption moving in the right direction among business leaders and their employees. This is evident when companies engage in certification courses such as ISO 37001, which certifies that an organisation has implemented reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent bribery.

Q. How has the renewed focus on encouraging and protecting whistleblowers changed the way companies manage and respond to reports of potential wrongdoing?

Anjum: In the UK, there is a strong emphasis on encouraging and protecting corporate whistleblowers because the statistics show that fraud is most often uncovered by tips. Employees truly are the first line of defence against corruption. This change in approach and attitude has exposed two issues that need attention, however.

First, the worker needs to understand what constitutes fraudulent behaviour – otherwise, how will he or she know what to report? That is where a training protocol like ISO 37001 comes in, with a curriculum to help educate a company’s workforce on the red flags of fraud and how to identify it. Second, employees must know how to report fraud.

A hotline or other reporting system is useless if the company does not properly communicate how to engage it – or that it exists at all.

Q. Could you outline the main fraud and corruption risks that can emerge from third-party relationships? In your opinion, do firms pay sufficient attention to due diligence at the outset of a new business relationship?

Anjum: Many business leaders have learned the hard way that new partnerships require more than just handshakes, optimism and a basic level of fact-checking. To be protected, an organisation should engage an expert due diligence firm before undertaking any merger, acquisition, partnership or other third-party engagement.

Some of the risks of inadequate due diligence include merging with an international business embroiled in several behind-the-scenes legal battles, discovering your new partner is a credit risk, has claimed bankruptcy or is faced with debtor filings, learning that your new overseas contractor has none of the industry experience it claimed, affiliating with a partner that is rife with conflicts of interests and, worst of all, having your own organisation’s reputation damaged or destroyed through the actions of a third-party.

Q. What advice can you offer to companies on implementing and maintaining a robust fraud and corruption risk management process, with appropriate internal controls?

Anjum: No matter your location, industry or the size of your organisation, having a fraud and corruption risk management process is a must.

Step one is to establish a zero-tolerance stance against fraud. This is done by communicating the right ‘tone at the top’ across the entire organisation, spelling out the leadership’s stance against corruption. An ethical code of conduct should be adopted and signed by all employees from top to bottom, and the organisation’s hiring policies should include thorough pre-and-post employment background screenings.

The organisation should engage in ISO 37001 certification to ensure that employees are trained to recognise and report bribery and other types of fraud, and that proper controls and compliance procedures are in place to limit the company’s exposure and risk. Finally, the company should conduct regular audits, and encourage whistleblowing through an anonymous reporting system.

At CRI Group™ we use our extensive knowledge and expertise in creating stable and secure networks across challenging global markets. for organisations needing large project management, security, safeguard testing and real time compliance applications, CRI Group™ is the assurance expert of choice for industry professionals.

Speak up – report any illegal, unethical, or improper behaviour

If you find yourself in an ethical dilemma or suspect inappropriate or illegal conduct, and you feel uncomfortable reporting through normal channels of communication, or wish to raise the issue anonymously, use CRI Group’s Compliance Hotline. The Compliance Hotline is a secure and confidential reporting channel managed by an independent provider. When reporting a concern in good faith, you will be protected by CRI Group’s Non-Retaliation Policy.

About CRI Group™

Based in London, CRI Group™ works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, Business Intelligence, Due Diligence, Compliance Solutions and other professional Investigative Research solutions provider. We have the largest proprietary network of background-screening analysts and investigators across the Middle East and Asia. Our global presence ensures that no matter how international your operations are we have the network needed to provide you with all you need, wherever you happen to be. CRI Group™ also holds BS 102000:2013 and BS 7858:2012 Certifications, is an HRO certified provider and partner with Oracle.

In 2016, CRI Group™ launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC™) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC™ operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC™ for more on ISO Certification and training.

Meet our CEO

Zafar I. Anjum, is Group Chief Executive Officer of CRI® Group (www.crigroup.com), a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organisations.  Headquartered in London (with significant presence throughout the region) and licensed by the Dubai International Financial Centre-DIFC, the Qatar Financial Center-QFC, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market-ADGM, CRI® Group safeguards businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking to affiliate with your business. CRI Group maintains offices in UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China, USA, and the United Kingdom.

Contact CRI Group™ to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Zafar Anjum, MSc, MS, CFE, CII, MICA, Int. Dip. (Fin. Crime) | CRI Group™ Chief Executive Officer, 37th Floor, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AA United Kingdom

t: +44 207 8681415 | m: +44 7588 454959 | e: zanjum@crigroup.com

Download 2018 annual reviews by CRI Group™:

• Click here to download the review of UAE (Mr. Zafar Anjum, CEO at CRI Group™)
• Click here to download the review of UK (Mr. Zafar Anjum, CEO at CRI Group™)
• Click here to download the review of Pakistan (Ms. Fatima Farrukh, Compliance professional at CRI Group™)
• Download the Financier Worldwide 2018 reprint about the situation in the UK.

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