to not trust a habitually unpleasant person who is suddenly overly nice.

[DieselSpillages]

I am part of an organisation. One member is well known for his disagreeable attitide and for several months , since a disagreement, he has been extrememely brusque and rude with me.

As part of a process of conflict resolution between him and other members I have found myself having to do a thorough review of the accounts. I suspect this person has been fiddling the books to his advantage. This would never have come to light except that he has used the fact he is owed money as a pretext to push his agenda.

I have not yet hinted to anyone my suspicions about this.

Because of all this I requested him to uncover some old accounts which I need access to in order to be absolutely sure.
I was surprised when yesterday he sought me out and was unusually friendly and warm (never in 15 years working together have I seen him like this).

My suspicious mind says he suspects I'm on to him and is strategically trying to befriend me to save his skin. I hope I am wrong because if he has been fiddling it's to the tune of thousands.

Why else would he change his position from domineering, dictator to creepy bestie ? If he doesn't come up with the necessary paperwork should I raise my suspicions anyway with other members or would that be unwise seeing as he is generally trusted by everyone.

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Do the right thing. Please expose him!

Detach, keep your work secured well. Report any missing documents and unnecessary delays.

Do you mean you work for a voluntary organisation, eg the Scouts or something, or are you all paid?

I don't understand when you say that this wouldn't have come to light if it wasn't for him saying he's owed money. Can you explain, please?

I would treat any change in tone very seriously especially if he knows you are investigating. Is he an idiot to think you won't notice this?

Beleive me, I really would love to expose him. I just really have to have solid proof first. He has old friends, including his wife, in the organisation who wont hear anything against him. He has this real ability to make any valid query out to be a personal attack and act offended, outraged, say he's being made ill etc. etc. He's so adapt at emotional abuse that I really need some indisputable proof.
The books clearly don't add up, he has been responsible for the accounts over the years and they are in a state of such entangled complexity that noone else can be bothered to try and understand them.The large amount of money he says is owed to him comes from a time before I arrived on the scene.

I would carry out the investigation professionally, and ignore his suddenly friendly overtures. As pp said is he refuses to uncover old accounts, go over his head an find someone else how can or report your findings ending with how he has obstructed your investigation and the old accounts need to be audited immediately.

It would make me suspicious too. But unusual behaviour isn't necessarily proof of wrongdoing.

If the review of the accounts shows something, then report that. If he doesn't come up with the paperwork, then report that the paperwork is missing. If there's excessive delays, then report that you're still waiting for X to get you the necessary documents.

I would be wary of reporting my suspicions without anything to back them up, especially if there's a history of you two not getting on well together.

He has issues with others as well . He's very disagreeable and really pushing his agenda , which not everyone is ok with. Outside mediation has already been brought in to re establish communication.
I am pretty much on my own with this as everyone else has confidence in his accounting.
He's now fudging the issue saying that accounts only actually have to be kept 10 years and older accounts are in German and I wont understand them !

Is it fair to say that if there's no material evidence of money loaned that he can't expect it to be paid back. This loan is has been harped on about for so long it's become an undisputed fact , but on delving deep I can't see why it hasn't already been paid back and more.

he wont actually let me have the accounts. I have to go and look at them at his house ! I'll have to take photo's or something. I really don't have the time or energy for this shit. he's really stalling me isn't he !

Perhaps you could suggest the accounts are audited by an external agency?

That way if rude man continues to deny wrongdoing, you can say obviously there are differences between the way you do accounting, therefore a third party should be brought in to mediate.
Auditors have to report fraud, so it will not be you who has to be involved with this if it turns out he is trying to defraud the organisation.

Go to his house, take somebody with you!! Photograph the accounts and get the hell out! He knows he's in deep now and is trying every stalling mechanism in the book. I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly became ill......

He keeps the accounts at his house? Is it a voluntary organisation with no formal offices you're talking about?

I would tempted to go down the external auditor route. You can make it sound neutral along the lines of your methodology not reconciling with his and so a third party professional review being useful.

Surely whatever the organisation they have to be signed off by an accountant on an annual basis?

I would go to his house with another member of staff and say "oops I can't stay I'll take them back to the office" of something such perhaps.

There is bound to be some sort of wider organisation you are members of, ring them for advice or ask them to do an accounts inspection.

You def need to take the books from his house!

I think I'd be inclined to send an email to all members stating that your attempts to review the accounts as requested are being hampered by Creepyman's refusal to let you have them. If they are accounts for the organization then they surely belong to the organization not to him and should be available to anyone who wants to see them.

Alternatively you could say you will go to his house but the work will take you hours/days and settle yourself in until you have all the information you need. Take a scanner and copy anything you think might be evidence of wrongdoing. Take another person with you.

I think he sounds dodgy as fuck, frankly. He's coming up with a variety of excuses - being at his house, documents in german, etc. to cover his actual reason for not wanting you to see them. I definitely wouldn't trust anyone who is normally foul and suddenly starts being friendly. Leopards, spots and all that.

Why have you been asked to do it, if everyone thinks he's so amazing at the books? Is it off your own bat? It sounds as though some of you don't think he's quite straight.

Just say- I need the accounting records, don't worry about the language issue and I'll come and collect them on x.

If he won't let you have them, or wants you to stay, say no, then report back as such.

If he is owed money it would show on the balance sheet and there should be eveidence of that, ie a letter of something.

Auditors report to the directors/ owner any mins accounting or fraud, who made a decision whether to prosecute or fire someone. Small companies under a certain threshold of profit don't have to be audited.

You could just ask for all the ye accounts and copies of the bank statements from the beginning. Otherwise just start from where you do have the paperwork and detail anything which you can't investigate.

Another vote for external auditor, but make sure absolutely no-one knows until they knock on his door and demand the books there and then, otherwise my instinct says he'll have a bonfire in his garden.