Page 177 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

178 Deception at Work

WHEN TO ADVISE THE POLICE

If criminal prosecution is a definite objective (see page [xref]), the police should be informed
before any internal interviews with suspects take place. But please remember:

• Your objective is probably to establish the total amount lost, whereas the police will focus
on proving a small selection of criminal charges.

• The results of internal company interviews can be made available to the police, whereas the
results of police interviews will not normally be made available to you.

• Once a suspect has been interviewed by the police and cautioned, he is unlikely to cooperate
in an internal investigation.

Do not be surprised if the police flatly refuse to take the case. Most police forces do not have the re-
sources to investigate complex frauds and the worst thing you can do is to allow them to sit on the
case for months, or sometimes years. If the police accept the case, a provisional timetable should
be agreed and if it is not realistic, you should reconsider the advisability of criminal prosecution.

Delay always acts to the victim’s disadvantage

It is impossible to set down rules that will apply in every case, but agreement can usually
be reached with the police that will permit you to conduct your own investigation and sub-
sequently make a formal complaint, consisting of your investigation report, statements and
exhibits. This is usually the preferred route, where criminal prosecution is an objective.

Obtain background information

INTRODUCTION

You should never interview anyone without being fully prepared: who knows wins.

GEORGE CARMAN QC and often took weeks to coin his memorable
phrases. He also liked to ambush witnesses
Mr Carman (see the excellent book No with evidence they did not know he had and
Ordinary Man (ISBN xxx) was widely to ‘break the session overnight to give them
regarded as the best cross-examiner in the opportunity to fret’. He knew the value
the business and was known for his pithy of detailed preparation in raising a subject’s
comments and apparently throw-away anxiety levels. This was described by one of
lines like those in respect of David Mellor, Mr Carman’s victims as ‘being Carmanised’.
MP when Mr Carman said, ‘He buried his
head in the sand, thus exposing his thinking
parts’. What was not generally known is that
Mr Carman prepared in the finest detail,

Gary Player, the great South African golfer said: ‘Funny, the more I practice (and prepare)
the luckier I become.’

There is no substitute for hard work