Forensic Accounting and Financial Crimes: Adopting the Inference, Relevance and Logic Solution Approach

Abstract

This study examines some basic and common financial crimes in corporate organizations, situating the focus on Nigeria, and by extension, the developing world. No doubt, financial crimes have affected individuals and corporate organizations negatively. Some instances of corporate scandals, occasioned by financial crimes, have put accounting professional bodies into a new perception and paradigm that go beyond statutory audit. This study discusses financial crimes and some basic and common financial crimes in corporate organizations. The review indicates that the motivations for financial crimes are built around some risk factors, which include the incentive (or pressure), opportunity and rationalization surrounding the financial criminals. This paper canvasses for the intervention of forensic accounting to solve the vexed problems of financial crimes with a further recommendation that the forensic accountant adopts the inference, relevance and logic solution approach (IRLS) in dealing with financial crimes in corporate organizations in Nigeria.

Key words: Forensic Accounting, Financial Crimes, Inference, Relevance, Logic.