Adequate evidence means information sufficient to support the reasonable belief that a particular act or omission has occurred.

Audit services means the annual financial statement audit of a recipient, including an audit of the recipient's financial statements, systems of internal control, and compliance with laws and regulations.

Contract means an agreement between a recipient and an IPA for an IPA to provide audit services to the recipient.

Conviction means a judgment or conviction of a criminal offense by any court, whether entered upon a verdict or plea, including but not limited to, pleas of nolo contendere.

Debarment means a decision by the debarring official to prohibit an IPA from soliciting or entering into new contracts to perform audit services for recipient(s) based upon a finding by a preponderance of the evidence that any of the causes for debarment set out in §1641.7 exist. Debarment may cover an IPA's contracts with all recipients or with one or more specific recipients.

Debarring official is the official responsible for debarment, suspension or removal actions under this part. The OIG legal counsel is the debarring official. In the absence of an OIG legal counsel or in the discretion of the Inspector General, the debarring official shall be the OIG staff person or other individual designated by the Inspector General.

Indictment means a charge by a grand jury that the person named therein has committed a criminal offense. An information, presentment, or other filing by competent authority charging a criminal offense shall be given the same effect as an indictment.

IPA means an independent public accountant or firm of accountants.

Knowingly means that an act was done voluntarily and intentionally and not because of mistake or accident.

Material fact means one which is necessary to determine the outcome of an issue or case and without which the case could not be supported.

Person means an individual or a firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity.

Preponderance of the evidence means proof by information that, compared with that opposing it, leads to the conclusion that the fact at issue is more probably true than not.

Removal means a decision by the debarring official to prohibit an IPA from performing audit services in subsequent years of an existing contract with one or more specific recipients based upon a finding by a preponderance of the evidence that any of the causes set out in §1641.18 exist.

Suspension means a decision by the debarring official, in anticipation of a debarment, to prohibit an IPA from soliciting or entering into new contracts to perform audit services for recipient(s) based upon a finding of adequate evidence that any of the causes referred to in §1641.13 exist. Suspension may preclude an IPA from soliciting or entering into new contracts with all recipients or with one or more specific recipients.