Talks to spell out danger of finance fraud

Former fraud squad detective Rowan Bosworth Davies, now a senior consultant with Titmuss Sainer Dechert, is to host a three-day conference on financial crime.

Executives from some of UK's largest companies are being invited to attend the gathering where Bosworth Davies will explain how fraud works and what can be done to combat the problem.

He said: "People are still very lax and internal controls are very weak. What Nick Leeson did at Barings was totally normal in the culture that he operated. The problem was that he got caught."

Conference organiser Victor Trocki said: "This is an auspicious time for the conference given the recent Sumitomo copper scandal."

Bosworth Davies is a former head of investigations at City regulator Fimbra, whose role of regulating independent financial advisers has been taken over by the Personal Investment Authority.

Other speakers at the September conference include Graham Saltmarsh, head of the intelligence policy unit at New Scotland Yard, and Martyn Bridges, a partner at accountants Deloitte & Touche.

Trocki hopes the conference, costing £900 a place, will become a regular bi-monthly event. He said the format of the event will be "interactive", with participants encouraged to to get involved in discussions.

For details call Victor Trocki on 0171 836 1551.