Question Tag: Financial Misconduct

Badagry Yachting and Marina (BYM) have a marina on the West Coast of Nigeria and a large sales operation dealing in yachts and speedboats. You are responsible for the audit of BYM and have found some potential causes of concern that could indicate fraudulent activity or financial misconduct within the company. In particular:

(i) 30% of the yachts on sale by BYM are supplied through one of the major international boating companies with a special finance arrangement deal. However, BYM have also obtained separate finance on these yachts, which are therefore in effect being ‘double financed’.
(ii) Ten yachts shown as assets by BYM cannot be located, with no explanation other than that they have not been sold. These yachts are worth approximately N50 million.
(iii) Long delays have occurred in performing reconciliations, with the last four months of reconciliations still not completed. At the time of the last reconciliation, material differences had been identified upon which no action appears to have been undertaken.
(iv) Sales have been overstated by N100 million in the current financial statements.
The finance director has been off sick with stress for the last five months and therefore has not been available to discuss any of the issues identified.

Required:

a. Explain the difference between fraud and error and how the issues shown here could be categorised as fraud or error. (6 Marks)
b. Discuss the role of management and the role of the auditor in the prevention and detection of fraud and error. (3 Marks)
c. Describe what steps you would take to further investigate and then report on the matters referred to above. (6 Marks)