Summer Conference Events

A two-part session aimed at those who want to understand how to dig into financial statements and identify relevant information for investigations.

OpenCorporates is the largest open database of companies in the world and the first port of call for any investigator wanting to find out information about a company. Rebecca introduces their mission and explains why it is critical that we all fight for open data about companies - their existence, ownership, activities and the people connected with them.

The global response to COVID-19 has put procurement in the spotlight. Masks, school lunches, potholes: that’s where the government put taxpayer’s money to work. Globally, US $13 trillion is spent on contracts with private companies.

Award winning investigative journalist and author of The Sarawak Report, Clare Rewcastle Brown talks to Martin Tomkinson about her three-year long investigation, which exposed the theft of $8billion from a Malaysian development fund by corrupt officials accused of working for the country’s then prime minister Najib Razak.

This mini-course taught by a journalist-friendly forensic accountant will show you how to understand company accounts and get beyond the corporate PR spin. The emphasis will be on teaching practical skills rather than a series of lectures.

How do you investigate ‘dark money? Knowing how ‘dark money’ enters the financial system is crucial to covering money laundering, corruption, bribery and tax evasion. In this session you will be provided with the tips, tools and resources for shining a light on a murky world.

The session will teach you ways to investigate an individual or company’s finances. It will take you on a virtual trip around the world to show how to access public records in offshore jurisdictions and the stories they can yield.

Any UK-based investigative journalist or aspiring journalist should have a working knowledge of Companies House. Companies House is the central registry for all UK registered limited or PLC companies and contains a wealth of useful information for those who know how to use the site.