Financial Crime World

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Iraq Takes Major Step Towards Financial Transparency with Forensic Auditing Workshops

In a significant move towards strengthening its financial ecosystem, the Government of Iraq has successfully completed a series of targeted capacity-building workshops in forensic auditing.

The Initiative

The initiative was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and aimed to enhance the capabilities of key institutions in detecting fraud and corruption. The eight workshops were conducted from March 2023 to February 2024, bringing together over 200 professionals from the Federal Boards of Supreme Audit (FBoSA) and Commissions of Integrity (FCoI) in Baghdad and Erbil.

Workshop Highlights

  • Participants included auditors, lawyers, and IT experts who were equipped with skills in:
    • Recognizing fraud
    • Preparing comprehensive forensic audit reports
    • Practicing preventive auditing
  • The workshops fostered a collaborative environment where peer–peer learning was encouraged, promoting a culture of shared understanding and joint problem-solving among participants.
  • Quotes from workshop attendees:
    • “The workshop helped us to share practical and scientific ideas that we can deploy in our work environment to combat fraud and corruption in Iraq.” - Dalal Abdul Rahman Yassin, Financial Controller at KBoSA
    • “Through the workshops we have become more knowledgeable about scientific methods of detection and discovery of fraud, especially Data Analytics, Digital Forensics, and Cybersecurity.” - Mr. Haitham Sabah Hussein, Director of Digital Auditing at FBoSA

The Importance of Forensic Auditing

Forensic auditing is a specialized form of auditing that focuses on investigating patterns of potential financial irregularities or fraud. By equipping professionals with the necessary skills to investigate these crimes collaboratively, the workshops aimed to effectively combat financial crimes and uphold transparency and accountability.

UNDP’s Role in Strengthening Iraq’s Financial Ecosystem

The forensic auditing workshops are part of the UNDP project “Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights to Sustain Peace and Foster Development in Iraq,” which aims to fortify the capabilities of various investigative bodies in tackling complex financial crimes.

  • The project has received generous funding from the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) since 2021.
  • To date, over 700 investigating judges, prosecutors, police investigators, auditors, and financial analysts have been trained to effectively investigate and adjudicate complex financial crimes.
  • Quote from Romana Schweiger, Programme Manager of the UNDP Rule of Law/Security Sector Reform Programme:
    • “This is part of our wider programme on Rule of Law and Security Sector Reform, which supports the Government of Iraq’s efforts to build trust and confidence between legal entities, public finance institutions, security sector institutions, and communities.”