Life’s an echo.
This happened back in time. Almost a decade-old incident. Too grim to pass over.
A colleague of mine had changed places and joined another company in an enviable leadership position. The remuneration and perquisites were fantastic. He was on cloud nine for days after that. Picture-perfect, in a word.
Everything seemed to have fallen into its place.
The guy was talented, persevering, and had exemplary communication skills.
The only grey spot was his fraudulent financial practices. He was overtly astute in matters of financial misappropriation. He would falsify receipts, invoices, and other documents that resulted in supplemental income for him. He was a skilled scamster and had conveniently escaped on earlier occasions.
When I met him at his farewell party, I warned him to give up on his old obsession, but he ridiculed me for being a sissy.
We parted ways as I wished him the best in his chosen endeavor.
We barely kept in touch.
“Old habits seldom die.” He resorted to cheap tricks.
His prowess knew no bounds. He scaled newer peaks of forgery as he fabricated travel bills, official papers, and other financial statements.
Things didn't last long. His inflated numbers were quite telling. His actions were now monitored. The sketchy numbers prompted the management to order an investigation. Soon skeletons tumbled from the closet.
He was summoned to the headquarters and immediately relieved of his duties. Computing devices, company data, and other sensitive information were confiscated. Legal procedures were initiated against him. He was charged with financial impropriety.
I came to know this later through a common associate. I felt sorry for him.
What a sheer waste of talent for a few quick bucks! He had jeopardized his career knowingly. He lost his career, future, and respect.
