Transparency and Accountability Drive Surge in Demand for Financial Investigators
The increasing need for professionals in the field of financial investigation is an indicator of the strengthening demand for transparent and accountable economic governance. The presence of financial investigators is increasingly important to support legal certainty, strengthen business confidence, and create a healthy investment climate.
Responding to this need, the Indonesian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (IAPI) is again holding the 10th batch of the Certified Financial Investigator (CFI) Education and Certification programme for public accountants and legal and financial practitioners who wish to deepen their audit investigative skills.
Rizki Damir Mustika, Chair of the IAPI Investigation Services Committee, stated that the programme has been running for almost a decade and continues to evolve in line with the needs of the business world and law enforcement officials. “This certification workshop has been conducted for nine batches from 2017 to 2024. We are now holding the 10th batch. Over the last 10 years, we have produced nearly 500 alumni, and that number continues to grow with this current batch,” Rizki said in Jakarta, Monday (29/6/2026).
According to Rizki, the increasing complexity of financial transactions and the handling of economic cases has made the need for financial investigators even greater. Therefore, the certification programme not only aims to improve the technical capabilities of public accountants but also to strengthen synergy with law enforcement officials, prosecutors, advocates, and other professions involved in the law enforcement process.
He added that strengthening the capacity of financial investigators is an important part of building a transparent economic ecosystem with integrity. “It is hoped that the investigative audit results prepared by CFI graduates can later be relied upon as preliminary evidence and evidence in the law enforcement process, from the investigation stage to the trial,” he said.
The programme, themed ‘Building Professional, Competent, and High-Integrity Certified Financial Investigators’, is designed to produce financial investigators capable of delivering credible and professionally accountable investigative audits. Over five days, participants receive materials that are continuously updated in line with regulatory developments and financial investigation trends. The first three days are filled with learning about investigative examination methodologies and strategies, techniques for calculating financial losses, preparing investigative reports, and the role of public accountants in the litigation process. On the fourth day, participants take a written exam and an interview, followed by an experience-sharing session. On the final day, participants take part in a corruption crime trial simulation, playing the role of an expert witness before a panel of judges. This simulation aims to train the ability to provide expert testimony, present evidence-based arguments, and understand courtroom dynamics firsthand.
Mohammad Mahsun, Chair of the IAPI Accountant Investigator Forum (FAIr) for the 2025–2030 period, revealed that the demand for financial investigation services continues to increase year on year, both from law enforcement officials, legal advisors, and the public. “From year to year, we continuously refine the materials and curriculum to match market demand. Our market includes law enforcement officials, legal advisors, and the public who need financial investigation services.”
According to Mahsun, the quality of an investigation is not only determined by the ability to find facts in the field but also by the accuracy of the methodology in calculating financial or state losses and the ability to prove the causal relationship between the perpetrator’s actions and the resulting losses. “The accuracy of the methodology for calculating financial and state losses, as well as the ability to prove the causal link, is the main foundation for ensuring that the investigation results are professionally accountable and have strong evidentiary value in court,” he said.
Meanwhile, Irwanto, Chair of the IAPI FAIr for the 2021–2025 period, explained that the competence of a financial investigator has different characteristics compared to a financial statement audit. While a conventional audit focuses on providing an opinion on financial statements, a financial investigator’s task is to uncover whether there are indications of fraud and to calculate the amount of loss.
At the programme’s opening, a representative from the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) delivered a keynote speech as a form of strengthening collaboration between the public accounting profession and law enforcement officials. This synergy is an implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between IAPI and the Indonesian National Police regarding the provision of financial calculation services, other public accountant services, and expert testimony.