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# The entrenched accountant

The new country representative's pre-assignment briefing included a meeting with the organisation's financial controller. He told her that there were over 100 unanswered queries on the accounts for the office she was taking over. When she reached the office new problems came to light. The accountant responded to queries with evasions and lies. She found that the accountant had previously been dismissed from a partner organisation for fraud. This information had either not been asked for or not provided when he was recruited.

After a year, the representative dismissed the accountant. The accountant appealed against his dismissal and although the appeal failed, his friends at head office suggested it was partly the representative's fault for not providing sufficient support and training.