BRACKNELL’S bookkeepers covered up evidence of smuggling by an international crime gang that was laundering British drug money, an investigation has claimed.
EY – who audit Bracknell Forest Council’s (BFC) accounts – failed to report suspicious activity at one of the world’s largest gold refineries and then altered a compliance report to hide the crime, according to BBC Panorama.
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When asked if it would consider whether to continue working with EY, a spokesperson for BFC said external auditors are appointed nationally.
BBC Panorama and French news agency Premieres Lignes found the gang laundered money by selling 3.6 tonnes of gold to the Kaloti refinery in Dubai.
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EY failed to report the crime and helped to cover it up, according to the investigation.
Kaloti and EY have denied any wrongdoing.
EY said it is confident that it has complied with all obligations and called the allegations “unfounded and baseless”.
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Kaloti told Panorama it had conducted all appropriate anti-money laundering checks.
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