Judicial Service commends Makers and Partners for role in forensic investigation training

The Internal Audit Department of the Judicial Service of Ghana has lauded Makers and Partners (MAP) for its role in forensic investigation training aimed at tackling fraud and corruption in the country.

The Head of Internal Audit at Judicial Service, Robert Nii Aryee Tackie, noted that as part of its preparedness to fight fraud the accountancy firm has intensified the training of internal auditors by providing the requisite skills needed to enhance reporting and internal audit work.

He said there had been instances where internal auditors have been queried for not presenting good reports, hence, the need to enhance their skill, especially in forensic investigations so reports could stand the test of the law courts.

Mr Tackie made these remarks during a forensic investigation training workshop organized by MAP in collaboration with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Ghana Chapter.

The event, which registered 55 internal auditors of the Judicial Service, aimed at equipping the internal auditors with the requisite skills for forensic investigation to safeguard the Service from internal threats such as fraud and misconduct.

The participants were taken through the intricacies of effective planning, practical and useful skills for evidence gathering and preservation using the appropriate techniques and tools including adequate documentation of procedures performed to obtain evidence.

Mr Tackie anticipated that the training would improve their reporting and internal audit work.

A partner at MAP, Alfred Aryee, also touched on the need to build the capacity of internal auditors who served as actors in the fight against fraud and corruption, hence, organizing refresher courses on the new things happening in the space of forensic audit.

He said the gesture was part of the Firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility as MAP seeks to empower state owned agencies to build their internal audit department to help fight fraud related cases.

The facilitator of the workshop, Wilfred Neneh Addico, also noted that a research conducted by the ACFE across companies in the world revealed that about 46 per cent of fraud cases were identified through tip-offs and whistleblowing.

He said volunteering information to the Internal Audit Function would accelerate the fight against fraud in the country.

The President of ACFE Ghana Chapter, Dr Rebecca Atswei Lomo, also underscored the need for auditors to be trained, to know how to execute investigations as well produce quality reports that could stand the test of the courts.

She said ACFE’s mission was to educate and train its members to be well equipped in fraud examination to effectively deal with those issues when the need arose.

The President of ACFE Ghana Chapter said the Association would celebrate its week (every 2nd week (every 2nd week in November) and added that it would hold its first conference on November 15 to 16, and urged the public to participate.

“We will educate the public on how they can protect themselves against fraudsters and scammers on the internet”.