The Executive Director of the Chartered Institute of Tax Law and Forensic Accountants (CITLFA), Ghana, Mr. Eric Oduro Esq., has said that “If you are a forensic accountant, you are more or less like a police officer – tasked not just with examining books but uncovering the truth for the courts and the country.”
He made the profound remarks during the Institute’s 3rd graduation ceremony held on July 24, 2025, at the Florence Onny Auditorium of GCTU.
The event, held under the theme “Forensic Issues at the Workplace: Fighting Tax Fraud, Financial Crimes and Misconducts in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises,” marked the successful completion of professional training by a new cohort of forensic and tax professionals.
This year’s ceremony did more than confer certificates and induct new members into the institute – It symbolized a broader national commitment to fighting financial malpractice. The executive director used the occasion to unveil the Institute’s new mantra: “Forensic Accounting – The 3rd Force,” positioning the profession as an crucial pillar alongside the judiciary and law enforcement.
The Dean of the GCTU Business School and Guest of Honour, Prof. George Oppong Appiagye Ampong, delivered a powerful keynote address emphasizing the crucial role of forensic professionals in safeguarding national revenue and trust in institutions. “SMEs may seem too small for major oversight but they are not too small to fail due to internal fraud,” he warned.
The Council Chairman of CITLFA, Mr. Kwaku Nkrumah, in his opening remarks, underscored the vulnerability of SMEs, noting that financial crimes in these enterprises often go undetected due to weak internal controls. “You have earned more than a title – you have earned a responsibility,” he charged the graduates. “Let your practice be guided by integrity, professionalism and diligence.”
The graduation ceremony featured a panel discussion led by renowned professionals and academics, exploring the theme in depth. Awards were presented to top-performing students, acknowledging excellence across disciplines in forensic accounting, cybercrime, tax law, and investigative auditing.
The event also celebrated the growing partnership between CITLFA and GCTU, a milestone hailed by the executive director as a model for bridging industry and academia. He urged national stakeholders to invest in forensic education as a strategy to improve transparency, accountability, and revenue mobilization.
It was graced by distinguished guests from academia and industry, including representatives from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD).
As Ghana continues to grapple with financial improprieties across both public and private sectors, institutions like CITLFA are proving to be more critical than ever training professionals who do not merely audit numbers but uphold national integrity.
