Offences concerning financial reporting

The legal requirements for financial reporting have become noticeably tighter over the past few years. Likewise, the criminal prosecution of alleged financial reporting malpractice has increased significantly in the wake of a number of major investment scandals. It is now no longer just balance-sheet offences in connection with allegedly fraudulent investments or insolvencies that are investigated and subsequently prosecuted. In fact, balance sheets are now being critically reviewed immediately following publication. Often, these “reviews” are carried out by investigative journalists and/or capital market activists but then lead to time-consuming investigations by the public prosecutor.