Assess whether a referral to counsel is warranted (287bd9)

Situation

The desk packet is ghost-employee payroll extract after a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing. Internal audit investigations manager in a $280M manufacturer closing Q3 has to name Remove access or reverse the item or Temporary compensating control for this Forensic Accounting Occupational Fraud file.

Decision

Internal audit investigations manager in a $280M manufacturer closing Q3 must choose Remove access or reverse the item / Temporary compensating control / Approve a documented exception / Hold using ghost-employee payroll extract after a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing.

Hypotheses to test

• A Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing is noise around an already-controlled Occupational Fraud process in a $280M manufacturer closing Q3, given ghost-employee payroll extract.
• A Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing is the event in ghost-employee payroll extract that forces Remove access or reverse the item for internal audit investigations manager under Forensic Accounting.
• Ghost-employee payroll extract shows a one-file miss after a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing, not a Occupational Fraud program failure.
• Ghost-employee payroll extract cannot decide a referral to counsel is warranted yet after a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing; hold is the only Forensic Accounting close a $280M manufacturer closing Q3 can defend.

Analysis required

• Separate a close-process miss from a qualitative SAB 99 issue in a $280M manufacturer closing Q3.
• Reconstruct vendor, journal, or inventory lines in ghost-employee payroll extract through the window opened by a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing.
• Trace approval, SoD, and related-party links that ghost-employee payroll extract actually shows.
• For this Forensic Accounting Occupational Fraud file, read ghost-employee payroll extract against a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing and write the one fact that would move a referral to counsel is warranted for internal audit investigations manager.

Recommendation

Choose Remove access or reverse the item / Temporary compensating control / Approve a documented exception / Hold on this Forensic Accounting / Occupational Fraud packet (ghost-employee payroll extract after a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing). Lead with the Forensic Accounting option ghost-employee payroll extract can support after a Big 4 inquiry on cutoff testing, then the two facts that force it, then the Monday action for internal audit investigations manager in a $280M manufacturer closing Q3.