Financial statement fraud in Indonesia: a longitudinal study of financial misstatement in the pre- and post-establishment of financial services authority

Purpose This study aims to investigate cases of fraudulent financial statements that have occurred in Indonesia and explore the similarities of cases that existed in the period before and after the establishment of the Financial Services Authority. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a descriptive examination of financial misstatements issued by different regimes by listed companies of the capital market and financial institution supervisory agency and the introduction of new financial service authority; among 93 listed companies that were subject to an official investigation arising from the publication of financial misstatements, these assessments were facilitated by mean of content analysis of annual reports following the announcement of an investigation. Findings The findings indicate that each regime has a specific pattern of financial statement fraud. It is found that senior management is responsible for most fraud, and recording a fictitious sale is the most common method of falsifying financial statements. Under the new regime, the publication of cases is limited since the introduction of risk-based supervision. Financial Services Authority is likely to fine and prosecute the director of a company as a perpetrator rather than a corporation as a legal entity. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the incidence of financial statement fraud in public companies and provides a detailed descriptive comparison of cases scrutinized by securities exchange commission in an emerging country.