Impact of Forensic Accounting on Fraud Detection in Zimbabwes Public Sector Expenditure Cycle
Gibson Tangai Murinda, Ronald Chiwariro · International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology · 2023
Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of forensic accounting on the discovery of fraudulent activities within the public sector of Zimbabwe, specifically examining the expenditure cycles of government departments. The investigation was sparked by the Auditor General's disclosure of governance problems and the rise in qualified audit opinions observed from 2018 to 2022. During that time period, the government imposed additional restrictions, such as a directive to freeze payments for all contracts that had been submitted for payment, a requirement to conduct due diligence checks on all contracts with the assistance of internal audit staff, and the blacklisting of 19 companies in an effort to get value for money, as well as a reduction in the huge appetite for business travel by government officials (Treasury Circular number 5 of 2023) served as another impetus for the research.