(iii) A statement on the importance of confidentiality in the financing of the early stage working capital needs

and an explanation of how this conflicts with the duty of transparency in matters of corporate

governance. (6 marks)

Professional marks for layout, logical flow and persuasiveness of the statement. (4 marks)

(e) Internal controls are very important in a complex civil engineering project such as the Giant Dam Project.

Required:

Describe the difficulties of maintaining sound internal controls in the Giant Dam Project created by working

through sub-contractors. (4 marks)

(b) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act contains provisions for the attestation (verification) and reporting to shareholders of

internal controls over financial reporting.

Required:

Describe the typical contents of an external report on internal controls. (8 marks)

2 It was the final day of a two-week-long audit of Van Buren Company, a longstanding client of Fillmore Pierce Auditors.

In the afternoon, Anne Hayes, a recently qualified accountant and member of the audit team, was following an audit

trail on some cash payments when she discovered what she described to the audit partner, Zachary Lincoln, as an

‘irregularity’. A large and material cash payment had been recorded with no recipient named. The corresponding

invoice was handwritten on a scrap of paper and the signature was illegible.

Zachary, the audit partner, was under pressure to finish the audit that afternoon. He advised Anne to seek an

explanation from Frank Monroe, the client’s finance director. Zachary told her that Van Buren was a longstanding client

of Fillmore Pierce and he would be surprised if there was anything unethical or illegal about the payment. He said

that he had personally been involved in the Van Buren audit for the last eight years and that it had always been

without incident. He also said that Frank Monroe was an old friend of his from university days and that he was certain

that he wouldn’t approve anything unethical or illegal. Zachary said that Fillmore Pierce had also done some

consultancy for Van Buren so it was a very important client that he didn’t want Anne to upset with unwelcome and

uncomfortable questioning.

When Anne sought an explanation from Mr Monroe, she was told that nobody could remember what the payment

was for but that she had to recognise that ‘real’ audits were sometimes a bit messy and that not all audit trails would

end as she might like them to. He also reminded her that it was the final day and both he and the audit firm were

under time pressure to conclude business and get the audit signed off.

When Anne told Zachary what Frank had said, Zachary agreed not to get the audit signed off without Anne’s support,

but warned her that she should be very certain that the irregularity was worth delaying the signoff for. It was therefore

now Anne’s decision whether to extend the audit or have it signed off by the end of Friday afternoon.

Required:

(a) Explain why ‘auditor independence’ is necessary in auditor-client relationships and describe THREE threats

to auditor independence in the case. (9 marks)

(b) Anne is experiencing some tension due to the conflict between her duties and responsibilities as an employee of

Fillmore Pierce and as a qualified professional accountant.

Required:

(i) Compare and contrast her duties and responsibilities in the two roles of employee and professional

accountant. (6 marks)

(c) Construct the arguments in favour of Professor Leroi’s remark that external reporting requirements on internal

controls were ‘too ambitious’ for small and medium companies. (4 marks)

Required:

(iii) A firm of consultants has offered to undertake a study on behalf of Envico Ltd which will provide perfect

information regarding seminar attendance during the forthcoming year.

Advise the management of Envico Ltd with regard to the maximum amount that they should pay to

consultants for perfect information regarding seminar attendance and comment briefly on the use of

perfect information in such decisions. (5 marks)

(ii) Explain the ethical tensions between these roles that Anne is now experiencing. (4 marks)

(c) Explain how absolutist (dogmatic) and relativist (pragmatic) ethical assumptions would affect the outcome

of Anne’s decision. (6 marks)

(c) At a recent meeting of the board of directors, the managing director of Envico Ltd said that he considered it

essential to be able to assess the ‘value for money’ of each seminar. He suggested that the quality of the speakers

and the comfort of the seminar rooms were two assessment criteria that should be used in order to assess the

‘value for money’ of each seminar.

Required:

Discuss SIX separate and distinct assessment criteria (including those suggested by the managing director),

that would enable the management of Envico Ltd to assess the ‘value for money’ of each seminar.

(6 marks)