Accountancy body chief says scandals in Britain ‘damaged trust’ and standing’

The new president of Chartered Accountants Ireland has defended the auditing profession from public criticism concerning conflict of interest. Speaking to The Sunday Business Post, Conall O’Halloran, who is also a partner with KPMG, said recent scandals in Britain had given the profession a bad name and that auditing was a public service that required public trust.

“If we are not seen to be objective, then what we do doesn’t matter,” he said. ...