Question Tag: Client Identification

The idea to incorporate Peters & Shamsudeen Haulages Limited was mooted in London and it was incorporated on the return of Alhaji Shamsudeen to Nigeria. He met Peters during his stay in the UK. They had a good relationship which started in a coffee shop. As they met regularly in this shop, what to do on Alhaji Shamsudeen’s return to Nigeria became the subject of discussion. Based on their experiences, the idea of Peters & Shamsudeen Haulages Limited was birthed. Alhaji Shamsudeen subsequently returned to Nigeria, incorporated the company, obtained the appropriate expatriate quota, and Mr. Peters came in and started running the company.

On commencement, Sejumade Uzoma & Co was appointed the company’s external auditors. Whilst Mr. Peters was around, there was a good working relationship between the company and the audit firm.

After about nine years, Mr. Peters returned to the UK, leaving the company in the hands of Alhaji Shamsudeen. Subsequently, Sejumade Uzoma & Co started receiving complaints from Alhaji Shamsudeen and his key accounting staff. These complaints were rife even before the ninth month of the current year that Sejumade Uzoma & Co. decided not to continue with the engagement. The audit fee for the previous year had about thirty percent outstanding at this stage.

This was the position when Alhaji Shamsudeen approached your partner at Musa, Edewo & Co. (Chartered Accountants). Their discussion was fruitful for your firm, hence it was agreed by the partners that full professional procedures would be applied as normal. Part of the information available on interaction is that the year is almost ending, and there was uncertainty about the firm that will do the audit before the engagement of your firm. You have the responsibility of assisting your partner in ensuring that proper documentations would be done without any compromise.

Required:

a. According to professional requirements, discuss the issues your firm is expected to address in her correspondence with Sejumade Uzoma & Co. (10 Marks)

b. Evaluate the various circumstances that would lead to change in professional appointment. (5 Marks)

c. In consideration of the client, analyze the procedures necessary for proper client identification in accordance with anti-money laundering requirements. (5 Marks)