‘Follow the money,’ as the line goes from the film ‘All The President’s Men,’ which chronicled President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal in the 1970s.
However, in significant fraud cases, the money trail is still the primary line of investigation, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to trace.
Not long ago, the methods for perpetrating fraud were rather limited and, as a result, unsophisticated.
That can no longer be said, as global financial markets shift billions of pounds per hour of trading. The picture is further complicated by the emergence of ‘crypto currencies.’
We could go on and on about swaps, derivatives, futures, securities, bonds, secondary markets, and so on….
What is the significance of this?
It is important to us as lawyers because, in order to successfully defend these complicated cases, your lawyers must first and foremost grasp the atmosphere in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.
Your lawyer must be able to communicate effectively in ‘your language.’
What is shocking, however, is that a putative expert witness for the prosecution in a recent high-profile case was so out of his depth that he had to seek help on fundamental financial terms.
The Court of Appeal made the following observations:
“It’s not a matter to be downplayed when the Crown in a major prosecution calls a witness who is wholly out of his depth.
We take a very serious view of what in the judgment we will describe as a debacle, whatever the outcome.
We want to know how did it come about that he was instructed when he lacked expertise? We are very concerned as to how he can have been instructed, the due diligence, and how it came to light.
We are troubled by it.”
This particular witness was exposed by what has been described as a ‘devastating cross-examination’ by a defence barrister.
Expertise Matters
While appeal courts exist to address errors, this does not guarantee that every trial error will result in an acquittal.
As a result, it’s critical that everything is done correctly the first time.
This necessitates a defence team with a thorough understanding of international finance, the ability to decipher the complexity of your case, and the ability to collaborate with top attorneys capable of “devastating cross-examination.”
We have a proven track record of defending complicated financial crimes, so contact us to examine your options before entrusting your case to anybody else.