During the year the internal auditor of Mulligan Co discovered several discrepancies in th

Question

During the year the internal auditor of Mulligan Co discovered several discrepancies in the inventory records. In a

statement made to the board of directors, the internal auditor said:

‘I think that someone is taking items from the warehouse. A physical inventory count is performed every three months,

and it has become apparent that about 200 boxes of flat-packed chairs and tables are disappearing from the

warehouse every month. We should get someone to investigate what has happened and quantify the value of the

loss.’

Required:

(c) Define ‘forensic accounting’ and explain its relevance to the statement made by the internal auditor.

(5 marks)

Answer 1

正确答案：
(c) Forensic accounting is where an assurance provider investigates a specific issue, often with a legal consequence, such as a
suspected fraud. Specifically it is the process of gathering, analysing and reporting on data for the purpose of finding facts
and/or evidence in the context of financial/legal disputes and/or irregularities. The forensic accountant will also give
preventative advice based on evidence gathered. This advice is based usually on recommendations to improve the internal
control systems to prevent and detect fraud.
The relevance here is that Webb & Co are likely to be asked to provide a forensic accounting service to Mulligan Co.
The investigation will consider two issues – firstly whether the fraud actually happened, and secondly, if a fraud has taken
place, the financial value of the fraud. The investigation should determine who has perpetrated the fraud, and collect evidence
to help prosecute those involved in the deception.
In this case the suspicion that inventory is being stolen should be investigated, as there could be other reasons for the
discrepancy found in the inventory records. For example, the discrepancy could be caused by:
– Obsolete or damaged inventory thrown away but not eliminated from the inventory records
– Despatches from the warehouse not recorded in the inventory management system
– Incoming inventory being recorded incorrectly (e.g. recorded twice in the inventory management system)
– Inventory being held at a separate location and therefore not included in the count.
If it is found that thefts have taken place, then the forensic accountant should gather evidence to:
– Prove the identity of the persons involved
– Quantify the value of inventory taken.
The evidence gathered could be used to start criminal proceedings against those found to have been involved in the fraud.