Audit Committee Responsibilities Before, During and After Internal Investigations: Remediating and Disclosing the Investigation to the Government and the Public (Part Four of Four)

The end of an internal investigation does not mean the end of work on the matter for a company and the audit committee.  When an internal corruption investigation is completed, “the board should have a full briefing as to the findings, along with recommendations as to what next steps the organization should take,” William Olsen, leader of the Global Investigations and Anti-Corruption Services group at Grant Thornton LLP, told the Anti-Corruption Report.  The board and the company must make a series of critical and difficult decisions relating to, among other things, voluntary disclosure to the government, remediation measures and public disclosures.  The role the audit committee should play in these issues can be hard to define.  The Anti-Corruption Report is publishing a four-part article series on audit committee responsibilities throughout an internal investigation. This final article in the series suggests best practices for an audit committee after the “meat” of the investigation is done, including whether and how to self-report and other crucial post-investigation decisions on remediation and SEC disclosures.  The first article in the series, “Five Steps to Take Before the Investigation Begins,” detailed the committee's responsibilities, the risks and liabilities it faces and steps it should take before the need to investigate arises. The second article, “Determining When and How to Proceed,” discussed vetting complaints for the audit committee, determining when an investigation is needed and who should lead the investigation. The third article, “Retaining Counsel, Gathering Information and Documenting the Investigation,” discussed what the company and audit committee should do when initiating an investigation; when the company should retain outside counsel and other experts; how the company should gather information relevant to the investigation; and whether and how the company should document the investigation.

To read the full article

Continue reading your article with an ACR subscription.