INVESTIGATIVE ACCOUNTANTS
Monica Bond BA LLB FCIS ACA MAE CFA
Monica Bond is regarded as a foremost expert in Anti-Money Laundering issues and fraud.
Monica is both a solicitor and Chartered Accountant as well as a Certified Fraud Examiner.
She has been Managing Director of Bond Associates since its formation in 1999, but her
experience as a forensic accountant goes back more than 20 years.
At Deloite & Touche (formerly Touche Ross) in the late 1980’ and early 1990’s she was
involved in the famous case of Dr Hashim –v- Arab Monetary Fund where she formed part of
he forensic accounting team that supported this major litigation involving the former head of the Arab Monetary Fund who had fled Iraq where his family were brutally persecuted.
In 1992, Monica became Head of Forensic Services (west Region) at KPMG where she continued to focus on litigation support. During her period at KPMG she was closely involved with major fraud matters including Polly Peck, BCCI and Banco Ambrosiano.
In 1994 Monica joined Grant Thornton as Forensic Services partner and was closely involved in the major timeshare fraud case involving John Palmer. Ultimately this resulted in his conviction and recovery actions that continue to this day. In 1994 Monica was the author of the Accountants Digest on Money Laundering, published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Since that time she has become a leading expert on anti-money laundering policy and procedures. She has lectured throughout the world, particularly in South America where she lectured on behalf of the US Treasury and more recently in the Middle East.
In 1996 Monica created The Bond Partnership a regulated Chartered Accountancy practice, which continued until 2003 when her specialist work in forensic accountancy led to her concentrating on the activities of Bond Associates Limited
Monica is in addition to being the Managing Director of Bond Associates, a solicitor and principle of Bond Solicitors. Her professional and Academic qualifications are:-
Professional and Academic Qualifications:
· Chartered Accountant - 1992 · Solicitor of the Supreme Court
· Certified Fraud Examiner – 1999
· Law Graduate LLB London 1984
· English Graduate BA Hons - 1971
Member of the Academy of Experts
Monica’s specialist areas include:-
Ø Fraud – prevention, detection, investigation and recovery. Monica also lectures extensively on this subject in the Middle East. Monica has achieved some spectacular fraud recoveries during the course of her career.
Ø Anti-Money laundering – Monica has provided expert advice in some of the largest money laundering cases in the UK as well as being a world renowned lecturer on the subject.
Ø Regulatory compliance in the financial sector. Monica has advised banks, insurance company’s and investment businesses on regulatory compliance across a broad range of areas. Monica has been closely involved in setting up compliance systems within banks and insurance companies and also lectures extensively in this area.
Ø Asset tracing and loss recovery – this is often but not always linked to fraud recovery.
Ø Supporting commercial litigation for example in asset valuation as well as in misrepresentations at the time of entering into a franchise contract.
Ø Monica’s extensive legal background has meant that she has often been involved in cases where corporate governance is an issue.
Ø Monica has often been involved as part of the legal team where professional negligence is alleged, particularly where accountants are involved.
Ø On numerous occasions Monica has provided expert advice or acted as a court Expert Witness in divorce cases, particularly where assets have been hidden or where there are asset valuation and ownership issues.
Ø Monica has been involved in many Regulatory Investigations into financial service companies particularly where fraud is alleged or other fundamental compliance breaches are alleged.
Ø Monica has often been used by companies in the financial services sector to conduct risk reviews. This has been particularly true of UK branches of overseas banks or insurance companies where there are differences between UK and home regulatory regimes.
Career highlights:
Commercial: sample list of recent Forensic and Consultancy Assignments:
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Expert advisor in Divorce case involving £20 million of disputed assets (2005-2007)
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Expert witness in an asset valuation case of UK on-shore gas fields valued at over £200m (2007)
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Expert advisor in litigation against former directors of a regulated insurance company where fraud is alleged.(2008)
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Expert advisor in an intellectual property and investment fraud involving a formation agent. Legal areas covered fraud and professional negligence (2005-2008)
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Expert advisor in a procurement fraud where breach of contract was also alleged. The case culminated in criminal conviction followed by an £8.1 million recovery
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Extensive assignment for London branch of a foreign bank and its Head Office involving risk reviews, improvements to anti money laundering procedures, related improved documentation, systems and training.(2004)
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Court Expert Witness on the largest criminal asset confiscation case prosecuted by the DTI (2004)
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Lecturing/training on the prevention and investigation of money laundering to a range of organisations frequently linked to prior updates of their manuals and systems.
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In 2003 acted as the Expert Witness and Investigative Accountant in twelve court cases covering – money laundering, false accounting and fraud, tracing and recovery of funds, multi jurisdictional issues, organised crime, regulatory matters, freezing orders and the obtaining/preservation of key evidence.
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2004: successful defence of the Managing Director of a financial services company accused of breaches of money laundering legislation (client verification and reporting).
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2004: undertaken major compliance assignments for global banks and insurance companies, including risk reviews of their anti money laundering procedures and systems.
Government, Public Sector and Academic Lecturing:
National Bank of Romania – Central Bank
Institute of Banking Studies, Jordan
Egyptian Banking Institute, Cairo
Lecturer for Euromoney
Metropolitan Police Training College, Hendon
Metropolitan Police, Scotland Yard
The Scottish Police College, Clackmannanshire
Ministry of Defence Police
AML Conference for FinCen + US Treasury, Panama
AML Conference for FinCen + US Treasury, Buenos Aires