Islamic corporate governance and financial statements fraud: A study of Islamic banks

Financial statement fraud (FSF) in Islamic banks is unethical because it generates incorrect information for the stakeholders (Anisykurlillah, Jayanto, Mukhibad, & Widyastuti, 2020; Obid & Demikha, 2011). We identify some institutional factors, specifically corporate governance, as factors that can control FSF. Using the sample of Islamic banks in Indonesia, we found that the attributes of the bank’s Sharia Supervisory Board (SSB), such as its expertise, the number of members, and the number of meetings it holds, can reduce FSF. Besides, the number of audit committee members, and the reputation of the external auditors, can also help control FSF. This research does not find any influence of the board of commissioners’ structure toward FSF. Another finding is that of the three SSB attributes used in this research, the most decisive influence for controlling FSF is each SSB’s expertise in accounting, finance, or economics. We suggest that every SSB should have experts in those fields to complement the expertise in Islamic legal fields.