Application of forensic accounting and auditing techniques for fraud detection and prevention: The case of the Ethiopian public sector audit

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to empirically analyze the application and effect of forensic accounting and auditing techniques on fraud detection and prevention in the Ethiopian public sector audit. This study was based on non-experimental descriptive/survey design of collecting and analyzing data which were then analyzed through SPSS version 24. The study revealed that forensic accounting and auditing techniques are less commonly used in the Ethiopian public sector audit. This is specifically as a result of the huge knowledge gap that exists among the public sector auditors. On the basis of the empirical result, the paper concluded that the adoption of forensic accounting and auditing techniques would help detect, investigate and prevent public sector fraud in Ethiopia.