Johannesburg – Forensic auditing is becoming an increasingly dangerous profession, the Saturday Star reported.

Secretary general of the Association of Public Accounts Hlomani Chauke told the paper that the suspected hit on forensic auditor Lawrence Moepi was just “the tip of the iceberg”.

Moepi, the director of forensic company SizweNtsalubaGobodo was shot dead at the company’s office in Houghton last week.

“Nowadays, these kinds of attacks are happening to people who are unravelling corruption and mismanagement of public and private money,” Chauke was quoted as saying.

He said auditing companies were vulnerable because corruption was widespread.

Chief executive of the Independent Regulatory Board Bernard Agulhas told the paper that the lives of many auditors were at risk.

“While we are trying to strengthen the independence requirements for auditors as an oversight body, those that are truly independent now have their lives at risk. If the life of an auditor is threatened, it means the independence of auditing is threatened,” Agulhas said.

He said while the board could not offer physical protection for auditors, they encouraged them to work with the police.

SAPA