Forensic, investigative auditors crucial in capacity building for prosecutors–AGF

The Federal Government has said that the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Auditors in Nigeria(CIFIAN) has a crucial role to play in building capacity for prosecutors, expert witnesses, police investigators, lawyers and others involved in the gathering and use of evidence relating to fraud and financial crime.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, expressed this view on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening 2nd Annual International Forensic Conference/Induction of new members of CIFIAN.

The theme of the conference is “The Paradigm of Forensic and Investigative Audit in Changing the Landscape of Fraud and Corruption.”

The minister assured the participants that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was committed to ensuring sanity in the polity which CIFIAN had a big role to play.

According to him, it is the belief of the Buhari administration that those who corruptly enricthemselves with public funds should not only be denied the benefits of the proceeds their corrupt practices but should be tried in court and where found guilty should be jailed to serve as a deterrent to others.

In a goodwill message, Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services Office, Office of the SGF, Mrs Amina Shamaki, lamented that fraudsters had gone sophisticated and in some instances, taken advantages of the 21th digital revolution to perpetrate fraud that were undetectable by auditing.

According to Mustapha, the 21st century technology revolution has further created new methods and ease to perpetuate corruption in all its ramifications and in almost all spheres of endeavour.

“This new ease has made fraud cases difficult to detect by the police, investigators and auditors unskilled in forensic and investigative auditing,” he said.

He therefore assured of government’s commitment, support and partnership towards strengthening existing anti-fraud mechanisms in Nigeria.

In her welcome address, Dr Victoria Enape,  Protem President of CIFIAN, said that the emergence of forensic and investigative auditing on the global scene was based on the realisation that fraudsters had gone sophisticated.

She said fraudsters, in some instances, were taking advantage of the 21th digital revolution to perpetrate financial crime that are undetectable by conventional auditing approach.

Enape said that Nigerians must urgently embraced the global paradigm shift to forensic and investigative auditing which had proven to be most effective in mining evidence for prosecution of financial crimes if it must make progress in the prevention and fight against financial fraud.