MODERATING ROLE OF QUALITY PROSECUTION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL CRIME JUDGMENT AND CRIME DETERRENCE IN NIGERIA

This study examined the moderating effect of quality prosecution on the relationship between financial crime judgment and financial crime deterrence. The research design is cross-sectional with a positivist research philosophy. A sample size of 399 was statistically determined from a population of 108,64. The sampling technique was purposive, simple random sampling. A structured Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data from 399 respondents by a purposive simple random sampling method, with a valid response of 277. SPSS version 23 was used for the descriptive statistics, and Hayes Process Macros model one was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed a significant relationship between financial crime judgment and crime deterrence, and also showed that quality prosecution moderates the relationship between financial crime judgment and quality prosecution. It was recommended that the judiciary should be independent with full knowledge of the law so that financial crimes can be adjudicated in a fair, efficient, and effective manner. Prosecutors should be trained to have the professional skills, legal training and knowledge required to properly prosecute financial crimes so that convicted persons should be given severe, certain, swift and proportional punishment, which is to reduce the continuous increase in financial crimes.