CEO Clubs Pakistan has coffee with CRI Group’s CEO

CRI Group’s CEO Zafar Anjum has been invited to have coffee with CEO Clubs Pakistan. Called a “Trillion Dollar Club”, CEO Clubs Network holds high-level delegation visits to various countries to meet distinguished business figures, community leaders & government officials of certain countries and introduce or be introduced of Investment and Partnership Opportunities, Joint Ventures, Mergers etc. Click below and watch the coffee session now!

CEO Clubs Pakistan is a Chapter of the CEO Clubs Network Worldwide, a membership-based by invitation only Club and the largest business networking Club where members get connected with over 16,000 CEOs & senior executives across various industries globally. Being focused on business connection & development, therefore we strive to provide excellent business platform with unique opportunities for Club’s members expanding their businesses.

CEO Clubs Network Chapters are and have links in more than 25 countries. Our members are business elites, diplomats and government officials gathered together to exchange knowledge, share experiences, industries insights and trends. CEO Clubs Network creates diverse and multi-cultural atmosphere through its regular exclusive member gatherings in Dubai and other parts of the world with strong networking power and B2B connections which speed up business development for our members.

Who is CRI Group?

Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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CRI Group™ celebrates 30 Years

This month, May 2020, CRI Group™ celebrates 30 years. We are worldwide provider of background screening, investigative due diligence, third-party risk management, compliance and other professional investigative research services. From the very beginning, CRI Group™ has been dedicated to safeguarding organisations, helping businesses fight bribery and corruption, while promoting transparent business relations. “Investigative results are for the people, to get informed decisions” embodies CRI Group™’s values and aspirations.

Based in London, United Kingdom, CRI Group™ is a global company with experts and resources located in key regional marketplaces across the Asia Pacific, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, North and South America. CRI Group™ also established the ABAC™ Center of Excellence to educate, equip and support the world’s leading business organisations with the latest best-in-practice risk assessments, performance assessments, systems improvement and standards certification.

CRI Group™ and ABAC™ always stand ready to assist clients on every level, and together achieved many significant accomplishments within just the past year alone. From engaging new partnerships and adding new certifications, to launching an e-training portal and even opening another office, CRI Group™ and its ABAC™ have been busy expanding their reach to help more organisations prevent fraud, bribery, corruption and other business risks; while increasing certification and training offerings at a time when they are critically needed. 

CRI Group™ Honoured to be Named Certified Provider by HRO Today Association

A major announcement was made just last month when the HRO Today Association approved CRI Group™ as a Certified Provider of background screening to the human resources services industry. CRI Group™ completed a rigorous audit process for its pre- and post-employment screening services, and “demonstrated a high level of accountability of standards and ethics,” according to an HRO Today Association statement.

HRO Today Association certified members demonstrate that they have undergone evaluation and testing to verify themselves as credible and trusted providers. This form of certification ensures customers have access to qualified service providers in the HR services and technology industry. 

CRI Group™’s ABAC™ Center of Excellence: Serving Clients with Innovation

Founded by CRI Group™ in 2016, ABAC™ is celebrating an anniversary of its own: Three years of educating, equipping and supporting the world’s leading business organisations with the latest best-in-practice risk assessments, performance assessments, systems improvement and standards certification. ABAC CoE launched a new website this year, along with several new initiatives described below.

State-of-the-Art E-Training Portal Launched

ABAC™, powered by CRI Group™, unveiled a new e-training portal to bring its acclaimed certification and training straight to the businesses and organisations that need it. Through the portal, ABAC™ CoE offers three levels of training for ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Management Systems standard. These include ISO 37001 Awareness (Introductory), ISO 37001 Internal Auditor, and ISO 37001 Lead Auditor online training courses. Taught by ABAC™ trusted experts with years of hands-on and business experience, these online courses provide a proactive way for employees to learn to recognise any form of corruption, and report it. Course instructors bring the subject matter to life with relevant and contemporary examples. 

New Webinar, Expertise at Anti-Corruption Forums Help Spread Knowledge About Bribery and Corruption Risks

With more businesses turning to online learning opportunities, ABAC™ Center of Excellence hosted two free webinars: “ISO 37001 ABMS Overview” informs on the standard that was released in 2016 with a variety of anti-bribery best practices that all organisations should adopt. The webinar is still available for viewing and describes how ISO 37001 ABMS works, what measures it entails and what value it brings to businesses – along with how to get certified. “How Effective is Your Anti-Bribery Management System?” examines the fact that even among companies that identify and prioritise bribery and corruption risks, we often find gaps. These issues limit compliance officers from fully maximising the benefits and business value of their anti-bribery management programmes. This webinar is also available for viewing, and informs on how to mitigate risks and rectify these unintentional gaps in your policies and procedures.

In September, CRI Group™’s ABAC™ proudly participated in important anti-corruption events in Malaysia. The first was a briefing session and discussed ‘The Importance of ISO 37001 ABMS’ at the Malaysia German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. ABAC™ also proudly supported at Malaysia Anti-Corruption Forum, themed “Understanding and Addressing the World’s Biggest Problem,” organised by International Strategy Institute (ISI).

In December, “Manage your business risks with confidence” was the theme for CRI Group’s ABAC™ Center of Excellence anti-bribery anti-corruption training event held on International Anti-Corruption Day (Monday, 9 December) in Dubai. Hosted at Dubai Quality Group’s offices at Emarat Atrium Building, “Introductory Seminar on ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System” provided critical insight on how to protect businesses from bribery and corruption risks. 

Expanding the Global Reach: CRI Group™’s ABAC™ Opens New Office in Abu Dhabi Global Market

In January, ABAC™ proudly announced the opening of its offices in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). “ABAC Certification’s worldwide network of multi-disciplined subject specialist auditors and analysts help organisations prevent and deter bribery and corruption, third-party malfeasance, threats and corruption risks while ensuring our clients conform to the local and international regulatory framework, specifically UK Bribery Act 2010 and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA),” said Zafar Anjum, ABAC CoE CEO. “The establishment of our offices in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) gives us the platform to expand our Accredited Certification capabilities further and enhance the level of support we offer to the international business community.” 

Dynamic New Partnerships and Certifications for clients

ABAC™ Center of Excellence also announced that Apex Shipping Services LLC, based in Dubai (UAE), successfully demonstrated compliance with ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) requirements and attained ABAC Certification. Kanwal Zafar, Managing Director at ABAC CoE, said “It is our honour to recognise Apex and certify them for implementing ISO 37001 anti-bribery management standards. From the beginning of the certification process, Apex has demonstrated a commitment to achieving the highest level of compliance, preventing and detecting bribery.”

Award-winning information technology services company ISS Middle East FZC (IntelliSoft) also attained ABAC Certification in ISO 37001:2016 ABMS for services such as SAP Professional, Technology, Infra services & solutions (Data Management, Application development, Legacy Modernisation Cloud service, Analytics & Mobility), Staffing, Recruitment and Outsourcing services in IT. “We are honoured to work with ISS Middle East FZC towards their commitment to prevent, detect, report and eliminate bribery and corruption,” said Kanwal Zafar. “This zero-tolerance approach helps organisations to emerge as a global ethical and trusted partner, as this standard is recognised and practised worldwide.” 

New Ethics and Compliance Hotline to Foster Prevention and Detection

In keeping with one of the most effective methods for detecting fraud and corruption, CRI Group™ implemented an anonymous reporting mechanism that facilitates reporting of possible illegal, unethical, or improper conduct when the normal channels of communication have proven ineffective, or are impractical under the circumstances. The new Ethics & Compliance Hotline is available to all employees, as well as clients, contractors, vendors and others in a business relationship with CRI Group™ and ABAC Group. The Ethics & Compliance Hotline is a secure and confidential reporting channel managed by an independent provider that provides protection through a Non-Retaliation Policy. 

CRI Group™: A Brief History

The story of CRI Group™ began when it was originally founded as the “Metropolitan Detective Agency” by Mr. Muhammad Anwar Naveed, the father of CRI Group™ CEO Mr. Zafar I. Anjum. It was a one-man private investigation firm that dealt with insurance claim investigations. In 1990, Anjum (a former member of the Pakistan Rangers who had earned a Graduate Diploma from Pakistan Detective Training Institute PDTI) formally launched the business as a full flagged district level detection agency with a full range of services including insurance claim fraud investigations, background checks and due diligence.

It was while Anjum was working on an insurance fraud case that he came to a realisation about the nature of fraud. Whereas most types of crime are dealt with by the justice system, fraud is handled differently. It can be so complex and specialised that it often requires investigation by an external agency or organisation with expertise in fraud detection.

In 2001, Anjum increased the scope and mission of his firm, along with a new name: Corporate Research and Investigations (Private) Limited, offering full-scale investigative research services. Expansion would come quickly with incorporation in 2006 in the UK, and 2008 in UAE.

In 2016, Anjum and CRI Group™ embraced a bold new initiative with the founding of the Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption ABAC™ Center of Excellence, with world-class programs to train and certify organisations in compliance processes, including the comprehensive ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System Certification.

Today, CRI Group™ is a recognised global leader in employee background screening services, investigative due diligence, third-party risk management services and Anti-bribery Management Systems. CRI Group™ safeguards some of the world’s leading businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking for affiliation.

“Our business is preserving and improving Corporate Fraud Control, facilitating to get informed decisions and lessens the crime picture from society and working businesses,” Anjum said.

“Above all, we value our ability to serve the business community who can benefit from the appropriate use of our investigative results and services,” Anjum added. “We are dedicated to providing the highest level of professional excellence and result oriented delivery systems. We strive to identify the most critical needs of professionals and consumers, and we devote our resources to meeting those needs.” 

Looking Ahead to More Success

CRI® Group is honoured to have proudly served businesses, government agencies and other organisations for the past 30 years. The company’s mission is to safeguard the corporate world by detecting and exposing bribery and corruption before it can cause irreparable harm to a business. ABAC™ Center of Excellence also fills a critical role in educating, training and certifying organisations to prevent bribery and corruption.

The industry-leading services CRI Group™ and ABAC™ CoE provide are in high demand, and we look forward to the next 30 years and beyond in preventing and detecting fraud, corruption and unethical behaviour for clients worldwide. Visit CRIgroup.com and ABAC® Center of Excellence today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_section][accordion_father][accordion_son clr=”#ffffff” bgclr=”#1e73be” title=”Who is CRI Group?”]Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI Group™ launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC™) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC™ operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group™’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC™ for more on ISO Certification and training.[/accordion_son][accordion_son clr=”#ffffff” bgclr=”#1e73be” title=”27th Anniversary”]Corporate Research and Investigations Group celebrated its 27th Anniversary in all the offices across the globe. We all know that Company’s Anniversary is a special occasion for all its’ stakeholders because it marks the success of the company. The success of every company is not only linked with the strategies, mission statements and vision but is also backed by the brains behind these, which are our employees. These are our employees who have combined their diligence, inspiration and passion for supporting the management’s vision for bringing CRI Group™ to this level. CRI celebrates 27 years

Therefore, Mr Zafar Anjum, Group CEO announced lunch for its employees across the globe to commemorate CRI Group™’s 27th Anniversary. The wave of excitement was also reflected from employee’s end when they decorated their respective regional offices. Also, colleagues designed personally customised 27th-anniversary cards for all the staff to give a token of thanks for all their efforts they have put in last year. This gesture of distributing cards was extended throughout the group for all CRI Group™’s employees worldwide to thank for successful collaboration with each other.

CRI Group™’s Senior Management is looking forward to coming year’s milestone achievement with the existing team and longing to extend this celebration to next level towards the year end.

29th Anniversary

CRI Group™’s mission is to safeguard the corporate world by detecting and exposing bribery and corruption before it can cause irreparable harm to a business. As the global firm celebrates 29 years, the industry-leading services it provides are in high demand. The way companies conduct business has changed dramatically over the past three decades, and preventing and detecting fraud, corruption and unethical behaviour is a leading priority among organisations worldwide.

A Year of Milestones

During just the past year alone, CRI Group™’s accomplishments stand out as success stories for organisations that depend on expert help to protect their financial, reputational and legal standing in the face of corruption risks.

A critical part of this effort is the sharing of knowledge and training. CRI Group™ hosted its third annual Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Summit, attracting leading industry professionals to Islamabad, Pakistan for insightful keynote addresses, instructional sessions, panel discussions and workshops. In addition, CRI Group™’s experts participated as hosts, panelist and speakers at a variety of global conferences addressing anti-bribery management employee background screening solutions, reaching more than 1,200 professionals in 10 cities —and our investigative analysts have detected more than 700 red flags across 80 countries worldwide. If not discovered, any one of these red flags could have turned into the next massive fraud.

CRI Group™’s experts also published more than 50 informative articles worldwide to help educate business and industry leaders, government officials, corporate professionals and the public on topics ranging from corruption, due diligence and employee background investigations. These include primary research papers, case studies and features in leading industry publications.

Strategic alliances were formed to help strengthen the fight against fraud and corruption. CRI Group™ teamed up with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Transparency International, The Malaysian Youth Council and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Foundation to develop a nationwide anti-corruption awareness campaign, reaching more than 30,000 Malaysians on International Anti-Corruption Day. CRI Group™ also expanded services into Brazil, China and Canada.

United For Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption

CRI Group™ hosted its first Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Summit in 2017 in Karachi, Pakistan, the first event of its kind sharing invaluable expertise in due diligence, internal controls and compliance issues, along with showcasing the latest resources and solutions to detect and prevent combat bribery and corruption. The Summit was such a success that CRI Group™ hosted the event again in 2018, with CEOs, CFOs, directors, compliance and legal officers, lawyers, and due diligence and risk management professionals gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the second annual Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Summit.

Just this year, the third annual Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Summit returned to Pakistan (this time in Islamabad) and it embraced the theme of “Setting the Tone at the Top”. Anjum provided the introductory welcome, noting that the event was a great success at a critical time in the fight against bribery and corruption. “Nowhere is that more prevalent than right here in Pakistan, a country whose Transparency International corruption perception index ranking has decreased steadily over the past several years, thanks to effective anti-corruption programs, increased awareness, and ever-stringent enforcement measures”, Anjum said.

A post-event survey of the attendees found that 79 percent face challenges raising awareness amongst employees about anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures. They are doing something to remedy that, however: 81 percent said they are looking to implement ABMS certification and/or ABMS training at their organisations within the next six months. Attendees noted their overwhelming satisfaction with the event in the survey results, and CRI Group™ is already looking forward to hosting another successful ABAC Summit in 2020.

CRI Group™: Continue Leading Business Towards a Fraud-Free Future

The most successful organisations don’t rest on their laurels – they are constantly innovating and growing to provide new services and resources that directly benefit their clients in real, measurable ways. CRI Group™ is definitely in this category, charting exciting new paths in investigation, anti-corruption compliance, background checks, due diligence, and an entire range of offerings that fill urgent needs among businesses. With the expansion of ABAC Center of Excellence, the growth of the annual Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Summit, CRI Group™’s participation in other industry events and though leadership worldwide, the firm is at the forefront of the newest measures and best practices for preventing and detecting fraud and corruption.

For business and government leaders, catching corruption after its already wreaked havoc is too late. They depend on CRI Group™ to help uncover and mitigate risks before they cause irreparable harm. For 29 years, CRI Group™ has proved ready and able to answer the call.

About us…

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

MEET THE CEO

Zafar I. Anjum is Group Chief Executive Officer of CRI® Group (www.crigroup.com), a global supplier of investigative, forensic accounting, business due to diligence and employee background screening services for some of the world’s leading business organisations. Headquartered in London (with a significant presence throughout the region) and licensed by the Dubai International Financial Centre-DIFC, the Qatar Financial Center – QFC, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market-ADGM, CRI® Group safeguard businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability, and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking to affiliate with your business. CRI® Group maintains offices in UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, China, the USA, and the United Kingdom.

Contact CRI® Group to learn more about its 3PRM-Certified™ third-party risk management strategy program and discover an effective and proactive approach to mitigating the risks associated with corruption, bribery, financial crimes and other dangerous risks posed by third-party partnerships.

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How to demonstrate “Adequate Procedures” in Malaysia?

State of Corruption in Malaysia

While a large part of the political and economic universe still believes that engaging in some form of corruption is the only way to survive and advance, many countries now are taking drastic measures to root out corruption, and Malaysia is rushing to the forefront of that trend. Currently ranked at 51 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s “Corruption Perception Index” (2019), with a score of 53 (where 0 is perceived to be highly corrupt and 100 is perceived to be very clean), the Malaysian government emerged from the highly publicized 1MDB financial scandal on high alert and with a firm resolve to adopt tough anti-corruption legislation as one of its main priorities.

The result was the empowerment of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and its 2009 Act which addressed corruption on both the political and private sector levels.  The Parliament’s subsequent amendment – Section 17A – was added in 2018, which likened the legislation to the UK Bribery Act but added a “parallel” element of personal criminal liability in corporate bribery cases. And that’s where business organisations need to take notice and take immediate action.

Demonstrating “Adequate Procedures” through ISO 37001 Certification

ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System is an internationally accepted standard that specifies the procedures by which an organisation should implement in preventing bribery while detecting and reporting any bribery incident that occurs. The standard requires organisations to implement these procedures on a reasonable and proportionate basis according to the type and size of the organisation, and the nature and extent of bribery risks faced. It applies to small, medium and large organisations in the public and private sector and can be implemented in any country. Though it will not provide absolute assurance that bribery will completely cease, the standard can help establish that the organisation has in place reasonable, proportionate and adequate anti-bribery procedures.

ABAC® Center of Excellence Limited is fully accredited as a Conformity Assessment Body (Certification Body) to assist your organisation in attaining ISO 37001 certification through a thorough bribery risk assessment and audit covering the entire scope of the standard The audit methodology is evidence-based, meaning any issues raised will be confirmed through adequate evidence that the ABAC® Certification team has discovered during the audit. Auditing techniques take a risk-based approach to examining your organisation’s Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS), and the ABAC® Certification team will increase the scale of the investigation if they determine that a specific process presents a higher risk side.  Factors such as Impact, Negligence, Minor, Major, and Critical are taken into consideration during the audit.

A separate audit method is a process-based approach where the ABAC® Certification examines the organisation’s processes while considering the interaction between those processes.  Finally, there is a sampling-based audit approach where ABAC® Certification incorporates an appropriate sampling plan utilising samples from different ABMS processes to conclude and support the audit findings and results.

The audit is extremely thorough in its approach, which results in accredited certification for the scope of the ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System.  Because of the standard’s international acceptance and the thoroughness of the audit process, such certification can provide a valuable safeguard in demonstrating an “adequate procedures” compliance defence in cases posing a liability for a company’s failure to prevent bribery. Indeed, from an FCPA perspective, certification may provide tangible evidence that a compliance program was in place at the time of the alleged bribery actions. And from a UK Bribery Act perspective, the certification could provide the company with tangible prima facie evidence presented by an accredited certification body attesting to the establishment and effectiveness of the organisation’s compliance program. Notably, per Section 17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Prime Minister’s National Anti-Corruption Plan 2019-2023 has declared ISO 37001 certification a requirement for companies operating in Malaysia.

There is a strong likelihood that ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System will continue to set the pace for a globally recognised “adequate procedures” standard for corporations embroiled in corruption litigation proceedings. But for now, the most powerful “insurance” tool that public and private sector organisations can use in their defence strategy is ISO 37001 ABMS certification.

About CRI Group

Based in London, CRI Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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ABAC® Group Presents ISO 37001 ABMS at MACC 2019 Seminar

CRI® Group and ABAC® Center of Excellence CEO Mr. Zafar Anjum was a speaker at last week’s ABAC at MACC 2019 Seminar Benchmark on Governance, Integrity & Anti-Corruption. Mr. Anjum presented “Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS 37001) Case Study and Implementation – UK Experience.” He provided an overview of ABMS 37001 Accreditation & Certification as an effective and “adequate procedure” for organisations.

The seminar, held in conjunction with the British High Commission (BHC), provided examination and discussion of UK’s best practices in governance, integrity and anti-corruption. MACC officials, Certified Integrity Officers and students from universities attended the seminar to gain invaluable expertise from distinguished speakers sharing their knowledge of ISO 37001 ABMS Standard.

Mr. Anjum opened his presentation with some key statistics. First, according to the International Monetary Fund, “An estimated $2 trillion in bribes is paid annually in both developing and developed countries.” Just as concerning, the ACFE’s 2018 Report to the Nations – Global Study on Occupational Fraud and Abuse states that “Organisations lose an average of 5% of their annual revenue to fraud each year.” ISO 37001 ABMS implements standards in organisations at every level through measures that include adopting an anti-bribery policy, appointing a person to oversee anti-bribery compliance, training, risk assessments and due diligence on projects and business associates, implementing financial and commercial controls, and instituting reporting and investigation procedures.

During his presentation, Mr. Anjum mentioned ABAC Certification which is an accredited provider of ISO 37001 ABMS Certification and Training as a tool for organisations of all types and industries to prevent bribery and corruption. ABAC® (Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption) Center of Excellence is a global network of certified ethics, compliance professionals, qualified auditors, financial and corporate investigators, certified fraud examiners, forensic analysts and accountants. Founded by CRI® Group in 2016, ABAC® CoE aims to educate, equip and support the world’s leading business organisations with the latest best in practice due diligence processes and procedures.

ABAC Certification experts help clients through specific requirements and provide guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining, reviewing and improving an anti-bribery management system. The system can be stand-alone or can be integrated into an overall management system. ISO 37001 can be used by any organisation, large or small. It specifies a series of measures to help prevent, detect and address bribery that can benefit organisations of any industry or type.

Anti-bribery and anti-corruption efforts are a priority in Malaysia. That’s why CRI® Group partnered with MACC, Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Foundation and the Malaysian Youth Council for “United Against Corruption” on International Corruption Day last year. The campaign raised awareness throughout Malaysia and beyond risk factors facing businesses today. Last week’s seminar provided a further means to disseminate critical information about ISO 37001 ABMS and the latest best practices for preventing and detecting bribery and corruption. Contact us today and stand out from your competitors with confidence.

ABAC Presents ISO 37001 ABMS at MACC 2019 Seminar

ABAC Presents ISO 37001 ABMS at MACC 2019 Seminar

ABAC Presents ISO 37001 ABMS at MACC 2019 Seminar

Photos: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and CRI Group

Who is CRI® Group?

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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CRI® Group celebrate 2018 International Fraud Awareness Week

CRI® Group is once again a proud supporter of International Fraud Awareness Week, Nov. 11-17, 2018. This global movement aims to minimise the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education. Companies lose an estimated 5% of their revenue annually due to fraud (ACFE Report to the Nations, 2018) and additional training, prevention programs and best practices are needed to help bring that number down.

A few more “Fraud Facts” help illustrate some statistics in the fight against fraud and corruption (Source: ACFE Report to the Nations, 2018).

• The average fraud lasts 16 months before it is discovered. The longer a fraud lasts, the greater the financial damage (schemes that last for several years can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars).
• In a recent study of fraud cases, the median loss was $130,000. 22% of cases caused losses of $1 million or more.
• The most common detection method for fraud is tips. And organisations that have reporting hotlines are much more likely to detect fraud through tips than organisations without hotlines.

Zafar Anjum, founder and CEO of CRI® Group, said that International Fraud Awareness Week (called Fraud Week, for short) is an important effort to put a spotlight on fraud and help educate people about its perils.

“CRI® Group has been a proud supporter of Fraud Week for past years”, Anjum said. “It’s an important time to urge organisations of all shapes and sizes to conduct proper due diligence and minimise risk. Only by addressing fraud and corruption proactively can we make progress in preventing and detecting it”.

For CRI® Group, though, helping organisations prevent and detect fraud is a year-round commitment. That’s why Fraud Week is a great time to reflect on CRI® Group’s recent efforts in the fight against fraud and to also look ahead to activities on the near horizon.

Here are just a few of the highlights:

Launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Centre of Excellence (ABAC®)

At CRI® Group, we recognised the need for an independent certification body for ISO 37001: Anti-Bribery Management System. That’s why we founded the ® Center of Excellence – to assist business organisations worldwide in certification for anti-corruption, risk management and compliance. By providing training and certification for ISO 37001, our experts help organisations implement effective anti-bribery management programs using widely accepted controls, systems and best practices in line with local and international legislation.

Hosted ABAC® Summits to help fight corruption

With ABAC® in place, we found that business leaders were eager to learn more about preventing bribery and fighting corruption. The perfect solution was to create and host an ABAC® Summit to gather legal, compliance and risk management experts together in one place to share best practices, demonstrate resources and discuss the latest technology for preventing corruption. The first ABAC® Summit was held last year in Pakistan, and this year’s Summit was hosted in Malaysia – both were an incredible success! Next, the Summit will return to Pakistan (29th January 2019).

Spread knowledge

CRI® Group participated in conferences and educated professionals on fraud and corruption across six locations in four continents. Additionally, our experts discussed ISO 37001 and other anti-bribery management solutions with more than 1,000 professionals around the world. “CRI® Group is comprised of subject-specific experts with diversified speciality areas,” Anjum said. “Our audit team has years of substantive field experience as investigators, compliance officers and legal professionals.”

Engaged in training to enhance expertise

CRI® Group’s audit team has undergone more than 140 hours in continuing ABAC® training. The methods for committing fraud and corruption are ever-evolving, so our agents remain dedicated to their building their skill sets and staying on the cutting edge to help clients be successful in preventing and detecting fraud.

Achieved accreditations for ISO 37001

CRI® Group earned official accreditation from Emirates International Accreditation Center – EIAC (UAE) to administer training and certification for ISO 37001 ABMS. “EIAC provides objective evidence that organisations operate at the highest level of ethical, legal and technical standards,” said Zafar Anjum, founder and CEO of CRI® Group. “That’s exactly where ISO 37001 fits in – helping to protect organisations from bribery and money laundering.”

Raised fraud awareness

CRI® Group has produced more than 50 educational news articles and publications to help educate business leaders, government leaders, professionals and the public about fraud and corruption. Our subject matter experts deliver important information, such as why forensic accounting can be important during a fraud investigation or how risk assessments can be used to better protect your organisation. Our content is created to inform and provide important information that might be missed in today’s news cycles.

Found fraud

Through various client engagements, CRI® Groups investigative analysts found a large number of red flags indicating possible fraud. How many? The answer may be surprising: our agents discovered more than 700 red flags across 80 countries. The first step in fighting fraud is knowing that it exists. The sooner it is discovered, the less damage a fraud scheme can do to an organisation.

During Fraud Week, think about the statistics at the beginning of this article … and ask yourself or your colleagues: Are we doing all we can to prevent fraud? Remember, the landscape is always changing, and fraudsters will do everything they can to use evolving technology and other methods to find vulnerabilities. Moreover, the best way to fight fraud is to prevent it in the first place.

CRI® Group is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our ABAC® training and certification opportunities, our EmploySmart background checking process, our investigative services and other offerings.

About the International Fraud Awareness Week

CRI® Group is once again a proud supporter of 2021’s International Fraud Awareness Week. Taking place throughout the week of November 14th to November 20th of 2021, International Fraud Awareness Week is a global effort is a move to diminish the influence of fraud by advocating for anti-fraud awareness and education. According to the 2021 ACFE Report to the Nations, organisations continue to lose about 5% of revenue to fraud each year and currently, there are more than 3.3 billion people in the global workforce with all of them having access to or control over some portion of their employer’s cash or assets – an amount which contributes to such a loss.

Corresponding to the most recent ACFE report, other fraud trends which have remained constant throughout the last few years include:

• Asset misappropriation is the most identified scheme
• Tips are the greatest process of exposure
• The lengthier that fraud goes unbridled, the greater the median loss

Zafar Anjum, founder, and CEO of CRI® Group said that International Fraud Awareness Week (called Fraud Week, for short) is a crucial endeavour drawing attention to fraud and aiding to support better education towards communities about the liabilities that accompany fraud. “CRI® Group has been a proud supporter of Fraud Week for past years”, Anjum said. “It’s an important time to urge organisations of all shapes and sizes to conduct proper due diligence and minimise risk. Only by addressing fraud and corruption proactively can we make progress in preventing and detecting it”.

For CRI® Group, though, assisting organisations with the deterrence and detection of fraud is a year-round responsibility which is why Fraud Week is a wonderful occasion to acknowledge CRI® Group’s contemporary exertions in the bout alongside fraud; it is also a wonderful time to look ahead on CRI® Group’s activities which are all nearing their time of action.

Who is CRI® Group?

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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Thank you for attending our ABAC 2018 Malaysia Summit

Thank you for attending the ABAC Summit Malaysia last Tuesday! We are proud to have brought such an amazing group of distinguished speakers and respected delegates together to address the bribery and corruption issues worldwide. We are extremely thankful to all our speakers for making this #ABACSummit2018 a successful one!

Dr KM Loi, Cristian Nicoara, Md Alimuddin Rahim, Uzair Ahmed, Cynthia Gabriel, Mohd Nur Lokman Bin Samingan, Drago Kos – your contribution of knowledge and time is highly appreciated of everyone fighting bribery and corruption worldwide.

Respected delegates – we are extremely happy you joined us for the Summit and we hope this event helped you in more ways than one. Please take a moment to help us improve future events by taking a brief 40 seconds survey. Your feedback is extremely valuable to our ongoing effort to deliver anti-bribery anti-corruption events targeted to meet your needs and expectations. Download the presentations of the distinguished Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption speakers at ABAC Summit 2018 here.

Together we can stand up against corruption – see you next time at ABAC Summits, organised by CRI® Group in partnership with ® Center of Excellence.

Photos of ABAC Summit Malaysia 2018

Who is CRI® Group?

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI® Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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2nd ABAC Summit Announced in KL

After the great success of last year’s Anti-Bribery Summit, the 2nd ABAC Summit Announced in KL

CRI® Group is pleased to announce the upcoming Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC) Summit 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 25 September 2018. This is the second year for the ABAC Summit, providing invaluable expertise in due diligence, internal controls and compliance issues, along with showcasing the latest resources and solutions to detect and combat bribery and corruption within organizations.

The one-day summit is a must-attend event for anyone working in anti-bribery and anti-corruption, due diligence, risk management, and anti-fraud such as CEOs, CFOs, Chief Legal Officers, Chief Compliance Officers, In-house Counsels, Compliance Managers, Lawyers and Auditors, Heads of Procurement and Other officers responsible for Compliance and Anti-Corruption.

Last year’s Anti-Bribery Summit was a great success, with critical topics presented by leading experts in anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance. This year aims to be even better, with an agenda that includes the following highlights:

• A welcome introduction by Zafar Anjum MSc, CFE, Intl. Dip. (Fin. Crime). As founder and CEO of CRI® Group, Zafar Anjum has dedicated 28 years to the areas of fraud prevention, protective integrity, security and compliance. His expertise helps create secure networks across challenging global markets.

• Mohd Nur Lokman Bin Samingan, Assistant Commissioner at Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), will present “MACC (Amendment) Act 2018: Section 17A, ‘Offence by Commercial Organization’”. Mohd Nur Lokman Bin Samingan has vast experience as an investigator and a prosecuting officer, and is currently attached to the Community Education Division of MACC as the head of Private Sector Branch. He engages business entities, corporations and private companies in cultivating anti-corruption awareness.

• Dr KM Loi, Vice-Chairman of ISO/PC 278 (ISO 37001:2016), Co-convenor of ISO/TC 309 WG2 (ISO 37001 Handbook), will present “ISO 37001:2016 – Management Tool to Address Corporate Liability Provision”. Dr KM Loi is an anti-bribery expert with 20 years of management skills in quality consulting, training and auditing with wide exposure to various industries in the context of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, IATF 16949, ISO 26000, ISO 37001, SA8000 & OHSAS 18001.

• Drago Kos, Chairman of Organization for Economic Co-Operation & Development, will present “Corporate Integrity Guarantees Prosperity”. Drago Kos is the Chairman of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, Co-Chair of the Defence Corruption Monitoring Committee in Ukraine and adviser to the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency.

• Cristian Nicoara, Independent Expert Consultant; Justice, Anti-Corruption, and Security Sector Reform Adviser, will present “Anti-Corruption Agencies are Fighting an Imbalanced Battle. Where to Find the Allies?” Cristian Nicoara is a former Romanian investigative prosecutor with 15 years specialisation in major crimes, anti-corruption and financial investigations.

• Md Alimuddin Rahim, Group Integrity Officer at Petra Energy Berhad, will present “Role of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Foundation (NGO) in assisting Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)”. Md Alimuddin Rahim has more than 20 years’ experience in his industry – he is the Secretary General at Malaysian Anti-Corruption Foundation and also works as Group Integrity Officer at Petra Energy Berhad.

• Presenter Cynthia Gabriel, Executive Director at The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), human rights advocate and anti-corruption leader in Malaysia will present “New Lessons from 1MDB: The evolving actors in modern money laundering”. Cynthia Gabriel has experience advancing and promoting human rights, good governance and democratic freedoms. She founded the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), a NED grantee, which works to promote good governance and conducts a multifaceted project designed to encourage public participation in efforts to combat corruption.

• A special panel discussion and Q&A session will feature all of the keynote speakers.

• An hour at the conclusion for additional networking among attendees, with refreshments provided.

CRI® Group founder and CEO Zafar Anjum said that after the success of last year’s inaugural event in Pakistan, he is excited about the second Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“This year’s agenda was developed to provide you with invaluable information and foresight into the forces that guide and dictate our everyday work life: the ongoing quest for solutions, balance, and insight into the oftentimes chaotic world of anti-bribery and corporate corruption compliance”, Anjum wrote.

This is a critical time for world markets and economies. The latest Corruption Perceptions Index shows that “most countries around the world are making little or no progress in ending corruption” (Transparency international, titled “Corruption perception index 2017”, 2018).

That’s why the expertise, best practises and resources shared by the leading industry experts at the ABAC Summit are more important than ever. In the Asia Pacific region alone, the majority of countries are in the lower half of this year’s Corruption Perceptions Index. This is because bribery is still a key problem, made worse by unaccountable governments, lack of oversight, instability and insecurity.

There are positive signs as well. Officials in Malaysia, the host country of this year’s ABAC Summit, have made strides in the fight against bribery and corruption. According to MACC, 879 offenders – from top management to lower level staff, in both the public and private sectors – were arrested last year. This demonstrates Malaysia’s commitment to bringing offenders to justice.

Time is running out to make your plans to attend ABAC 2018 and get an edge on the latest best practices, laws, regulations and compliance, presented by the foremost experts in the field. Meet the colleagues you networked with at last year’s event; or make new connections with CEOs, CFOs, other executives, directors, lawyers, auditors, legal officers, compliance officers and others who face the same anti-fraud and anti-corruption challenges as you.

Visit www.anticorruptionsummit.com and reserve your spot today. Early bird registration (50 percent off!) is available until 30 August.

Who is CRI® Group?

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body that provides education and certification services for individuals and organisations on a wide range of disciplines and ISO standards, including ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management- Guidelines; ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organisations; ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management System; ISO 37301:2021 (formerly ISO 19600) Compliance Management system (CMS); Anti-Money Laundering (AML); and ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems ABMS. ABAC® offers a complete suite of solutions designed to help organisations mitigate the internal and external risks associated with operating in multi-jurisdiction and multi-cultural environments while assisting in developing frameworks for strategic compliance programs. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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CRI® Celebrates 28 Years with a Trip to Thailand

2018 has been a big year for CRI® Group, a global leader in Risk, Compliance and Anti-Corruption Management Systems. First, the firm was granted accreditation by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) as an ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System Certification and Conformity Assessment Body (the first accreditation of its kind awarded to a certification body specialising in global anti-bribery and anti-corruption, risk and compliance standards).

Then, CRI® Group proudly announced that it will host its Anti-Bribery Summit 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – following the success of last year’s inaugural event. The two-day summit offers expert training and the sharing of best practices for fighting bribery and corruption.

Following both of these major announcements, more than 20 CRI® Group employees gathered in Bangkok, Thailand to celebrate the company’s 28th anniversary. CRI® Group organised the trip to help employees connect, share in their achievements together, and enjoy all of the sights, sounds and great cuisine of Thailand in the ultimate team building trip.

CRI® Group: A Brief History

CRI® Group was originally founded as the “Metropolitan Detective Agency” by Mr. Muhammad Anwar Naveed, the father of CRI® Group CEO Mr. Zafar I. Anjum. It was a one-man private investigation firm that dealt with insurance claim investigations. In 1990, Mr. Zafar Anjum (a former member of the Pakistan Rangers who had earned a Graduate Diploma from Pakistan Detective Training Institute PDTI) formally launched the business as a full flagged district level detection agency with a full range of services including insurance claim fraud investigations, background checks and due diligence.

While working one insurance fraud case in particular, Mr. Zafar Anjum realised that a certain aspect of the affair struck him: Whereas most types of crime are dealt with by the justice system, fraud is peculiar in that it often mandates investigation by an external agency or organisation which specialises in fraud detection.

“I noticed that such organisations were sorely lacking in Pakistan at the time – and that there was a distinct lack of counter fraud education in the general population, which aided those committing fraud greatly”, Mr. Zafar Anjum said. “Furthermore, even where individuals were aware that they were being defrauded, they lacked the knowledge of how to effectively resolve disputes between themselves and the defrauder. Therefore we started a very first corporate investigation company in Pakistan specialising in Fraud Risk Investigations, Risk Consulting and Compliance solutions”.

Mr. Zafar Anjum raised the firm to a new level in 2001 when he incorporated and registered it in Pakistan as a Private Limited Company with a new name: Corporate Research and Investigations (Private) Limited, offering full-scale investigative research services. Corporate Research and Investigations Limited was incorporated in 2006 in the UK, and Corporate Research and Investigations LLC DIFC was incorporated in 2008 in UAE. Today, the company stands as a leader in employee background screening services, investigative due diligence, third-party risk management services and Anti-bribery Management Systems. CRI® Group safeguards some of the world’s leading businesses by establishing the legal compliance, financial viability and integrity levels of outside partners, suppliers and customers seeking for affiliation.

Currently based in London, UK, CRI® Group is a global firm with experts and resources located in key regional marketplaces across the Asia Pacific, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America. The company’s success and growth continues, as it recently expanded into North and South America and Asia while opening three new branches: Toronto (Canada), São Paulo (Brazil) and Shanghai (China).

ABAC® Center of Excellence

While reflecting on CRI® Group’s history, Mr. Zafar Anjum said the recent EIAC accreditation is a major milestone and a result of the commitment and hard work of the entire team. CR®I Group administers ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System Certification through its Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption ABAC® Center of Excellence, which it launched in October of 2016.

“It is a special honour to be the very first accredited conformity assessment body in Middle East, Asia and the UK”, Mr. Zafar Anjum said. “This accreditation is a testament to the expertise of our global network of audit specialists and the result of 28 years providing high-level risk management and compliance solutions to organisations worldwide seeking to combat the detrimental effects of bribery and corruption”.

CRI® Group’s ABAC®  Center of Excellence was created to educate, equip and support the world’s leading business organisations with the latest in best-practice due diligence processes and procedures, providing world-class anti-bribery and anti-corruption solutions to organisations seeking to validate or expand their existing compliance frameworks to maintain a competitive edge in the world marketplace.

“We are striving to ensure compliance and ethics being best practices for companies and their third-party relationships, and we believe this is a very best defence against all corporate malpractices”, said Mr. Zafar Anjum.

A Time to Celebrate

The idea for the meeting in Thailand grew from CRI® Group’s achievements, and also the company’s focus on human connection as the key to career success, recognising the positive attitudes and encouraging efforts of all employees that help lead the company to new heights year after year. The trip to Thailand was an enthusiastic “thank you” for their hard work.

The group was made up of 22 CRI® Group employees from various worldwide locations. They were joined by Mrs. Kanwal Zafar, wife of Mr. Zafar Anjum, as they gathered in Bangkok for four days. They also visited Pattaya, took a trip to the Coral Island, took a cruise in the river and enjoyed Thai food, culture and each other’s company. As one of the most important aspects of the trip, they engaged in several team building activities to strengthen rapport and communication.

Dubai-based CRI® Group employee Ayesha said: “We had an amazing time in Thailand to celebrate our achievement of accreditation by EIAC. I wish for CRI® Group to have more success ahead so that lots of such trips come our way!”

Austeja, who is based in the UK, said: “The best thing is that we met each other. We do communicate internally a lot, but never met each other in person. I believe from now on, our communication will be even more effective and the bonds we built will help the company to reach even higher goals”.

Muhammad, from Pakistan office, mentioned: “It was my first trip abroad and it was a very peaceful and enjoying journey to Thailand with CRI® Family. Very effectively and thoroughly planned by HR and Admin department. Must say a very well-done job.  Thanks to Sir Zafar and Mam Kanwal for such a memorable trip.”

HR manager Ayesha concludes: “On this auspicious event, I would like to congratulate Mr. Zafar Anjum who have set the foundations of this company 28 years back and worked hard day in and day out to reach heights of success. And this 28th anniversary is very special for all of us as we have achieved EIAC accreditation in this year and we are an Accredited CB for the scope of ISO 37001:2016 ABMS. It is rightly said, and I quote: “Celebrate what you have accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher, each time you succeed”.”

Congratulations to Mr. Zafar Anjum and all CRI® Group employees for an anniversary to remember!

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CRI® celebrates Fraud Week 2021

2021 International Fraud Awareness Week (also called “Fraud Week”) kicked off on Sunday and is in full swing. CRI® Group is a proud supporter of this critical initiative every year, and we encourage business leaders to take this time to consider all of their fraud prevention measures, including anti-fraud training for employees.

Does your organization have a training program addressing fraud, bribery and corruption? And, if so, how robust is your training? How often is it administered? And how do you know it’s working?

These are important questions, especially because we know most fraud is discovered internally through employee tips. A recent case study is a perfect illustration of that.

Case study: Conflicts of interest

A major pharmaceutical company’s security department received a conflict of interest complaints that reportedly involved a range of employees, from sales personnel to the chief financial officer (CFO). The company engaged CRI® Group to conduct an integrity due diligence and conflict of interest investigation to uncover senior employees’ unethical practices, including bribery and corruption.

CRI® Group’s investigators quickly launched a risk assessment of the company’s third-party relationships, including interviews with identified vendors and suppliers to help ascertain the engagement process and associated risks.

Investigators found one of the vendors used letterhead that lacked a physical address, and the only contact information listed was a single cell phone number. Site visits, background checks and interviews helped determine that the suspicious vendor was not a company at all – but a single person, and he was none other than the brother-in-law of the client company’s CFO. Worse still was that this obvious fraud was being conducted right under the noses of the company’s procurement and finance professionals.

CRI® Group investigators discovered that the individual’s residence was being utilized as a warehouse to help facilitate the fraud. Comprehensive litigation records check with local and regional courts found that the subject was previously convicted in federal court and spent three years in prison for the charges of selling counterfeit products, physician samples and expired medicines; further regulatory checks found that his pharmacist license had been cancelled.

The fraud had continued for five years. However, the one thing that saved the company from further financial harm was that employees had stepped forward to report unethical behavior. If not for their action, the fraud could have continued indefinitely.

Fraud Week reminds us that awareness is any organization’s first line of defense against fraud and corruption, as properly trained employees will have a better opportunity to recognize the red flags of fraud and better understand their organization’s zero-tolerance policy toward such behavior.

Some key things to remember:

• Anti-fraud training should be mandatory:  this includes managers and executives, who should also receive special training regarding their position of responsibility.
• Anti-fraud training should be an element of new employee orientation: after that, it should be provided to all employees annually, if not more frequently.
• Training might be presented live (in-class), on video or online in an interactive format: the live class is preferred, as it allows questions and personal engagement. However, some employees work remotely in today’s business world, and an online format may be more feasible.

Fraud is everybody’s problem, and it cannot be prevented and detected if employees aren’t provided with the information they need to combat it. Providing a robust anti-fraud training program increases your company’s protection from fraud and unethical behavior risks. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

Anti-Bribery and Anti-corruption Training

Our sister brand ABAC® Center of Excellence, provides employee training. Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence is an independent certification body that provides education and certification services for individuals and organisations on a wide range of disciplines and ISO standards, including ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management- Guidelines, ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organisations, ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management System, ISO 37301:2021 (formerly ISO 19600) Compliance Management system, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems.

Learn more about how CRI® Group and the ABAC Center of Excellence can help you have a well-trained workforce serving as your front line of defence against fraud, bribery and corruption.

About us…

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening, 

In 2016, CRI® Group launched the Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body that provides education and certification services for individuals and organisations on a wide range of disciplines and ISO standards, including ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management- Guidelines; ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organisations; ISO 37002:2021 Whistleblowing Management System; ISO 37301:2021 (formerly ISO 19600) Compliance Management system (CMS); Anti-Money Laundering (AML); and ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems ABMS. ABAC® offers a complete suite of solutions designed to help organisations mitigate the internal and external risks associated with operating in multi-jurisdiction and multi-cultural environments while assisting in developing frameworks for strategic compliance programs. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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Pakistan’s 1st ever Anti-Bribery Summit is a success

Last Thursday, 26 October, the region’s leading anti-fraud professionals gathered in Karachi, Pakistan, for CRI® Group’s Pakistan’s 1st ever Anti-Bribery Summit. CRI® Group took the initiative to organise the first Anti-Bribery Summit in Pakistan with the goal to redefine the anti-bribery culture within organisations in the country.

The Anti-Bribery Summit couldn’t have come at a more critical time, or have been held in a more relevant location – Pakistan is on the front lines of a struggle between those who wilfully engage in bribery and corruption, and those who endeavour to put a stop to it. But the problem of corruption is worldwide, affecting government, military and public sector organisations.

“The international nature of business today means that many companies operating in Pakistan and nearby countries are doing business across foreign borders, and in such cases find themselves subject to laws and regulations that aim to limit corruption and bribery on a global scale,” said Zafar Anjum, Chief Group Executive, CRI® Group. “That is why our Anti-Bribery Summit 2017 included sessions on compliance for the most significant international laws and regulations.”

The Anti-Bribery Summit 2017 included sessions on compliance for the most significant international laws and regulations, including a Q&A session with an expert on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Attendees also learned about compliance pitfalls, and how to engage in proper third party due diligence to keep their organisations safe from unethical partners that could hurt the organisation’s reputation and bottom line.

“It was good to see international speakers from UN and OECD on the practices being used and available standards for comparing our policies and procedures,” said Riaz Nazarali Chunara, Director, State Bank Of Pakistan.

Experts share their message

The Anti-Bribery Summit brought together some of the greatest minds in the fight against corruption, with a lineup of expert speakers that shared their experiences, knowledge and best practices with an attentive audience .

Keynote speakers included Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions and Co-Chair of the Defence Corruption Monitoring Committee in Ukraine and adviser to the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency (see an exclusive video interview with Drago Kos about the Summit); Jouhaida Hanano, Criminal Justice Advisor – Sub-Programme II, UNODC Pakistan; Shehzad Yousuf, Chief Internal Auditor at PTCL; Tariq Hussain, Former Director / HOD Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) – Supervision and Enforcement and Company Law Division; Ali Anwer Adil, Head of Internal Audit, Fraud Management and Revenue Assurance at Zong; and Ghulam Farooq, Director at The National Accountability Bureau.

“(It was) a wonderful conference on anti-bribery held by CRI® Group,” said Muhammad Nauman Ahmed, Head of Compliance at PEL. Ahmed said the “most amazing part” was that “OECD Anti-Bribery chairman Mr. Drago Kos and Director NAB, Sindh attended the conference.”

“SECP representatives were also present,” Ahmed said, calling it a “great event” for learning about the most current practices to counter bribery in Pakistan.

Featuring keynote addresses, Q&A sessions, trainings and a panel discussion, the Anti-Bribery Summit addressed topics critical to any organisation leader or executive in the region including anti-bribery compliance issues, strategies, the FCPA and UK Bribery Act, the corporate culture in Pakistan, conducting proper risk management and due diligence.

“It was a really good event, very well organized and an excellent learning experience,” said Yousuf Ali, Executive Manager, Assurance, EY Ford Rhodes. “My team and I at Ernst & Young thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the presentation from Mr Shehzad Yousuf.”

“We are looking forward to other such events,” Ali said.

CRI® Group thanks all of the attendees, speakers and everyone involved in making the Anti-Bribery 2017 an unmatched success!

ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification is offered under CRI® Group’s ABAC® Centre of Excellence, an independent certification body established for Anti-Bribery Management System training and certification, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and Risk Management System certification. The program will be tailored to your organisation’s needs and requirements. For assistance in developing and implementing a fraud prevention strategy, contact ABAC® today or get a FREE QUOTE now!

Who is CRI® Group?

Based in London, CRI® Group works with companies across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific as a one-stop international Risk Management, Employee Background Screening,

In 2016, CRI® Group launched Anti-Bribery Anti-Corruption (ABAC®) Center of Excellence – an independent certification body established for ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems, ISO 37301 Compliance Management Systems and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management, providing training and certification. ABAC® operates through its global network of certified ethics and compliance professionals, qualified auditors and other certified professionals. As a result, CRI® Group’s global team of certified fraud examiners work as a discreet white-labelled supplier to some of the world’s largest organisations. Contact ABAC® for more on ISO Certification and training.

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