Final answer:
The audit risk in this scenario would increase.
Step-by-step explanation:
The audit risk in this scenario would A) increase.
When a bank loan officer meets regularly with a company's CEO and controller to monitor the company's financial performance, it can compromise the independence of the audit. This is because the loan officer's involvement in reviewing the financial information may influence the audit process and potentially undermine the objectivity and impartiality of the auditors.
Increased audit risk can result in a higher likelihood of material misstatements or errors going undetected during the audit, which can undermine the reliability of the financial information.