FOLLOWING the Zim Morning Post’s exposé on financial misconduct revealed by the NMB Bank’s internal auditors as well as reports that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) had drawn guns on the financial institution, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer today said they have not been approached by the commission.
NMB Bank’s CEO, Benefit Washaya told this publication that he had no idea that Zacc was coming after them nor had they been contacted in regards to the allegations.
Washaya indicated that he was the one who had called for the audit and his team had followed due processes thereafter as they tabled the report before the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
He also said his institution has no case to answer because “they follow all financial regulations.”
“I called for the internal audit to be conducted after I noted some irregularities from the risk management department’s report,” he said.
“After the audit report was tabled before my office, it was distributed to all relevant authorities including the RBZ and we have not been informed either by the RBZ or by Zacc that we are under investigation.”
Insiders close to this publication revealed that Zacc had moved in to demand that an internal audit be conducted as it moves to uproot corruption in the private sector.
A document from the bank’s Internal Audit department possessed by the Zim Morning Post shows that an investigation was executed by the bank’s risk department following a Deloitte tip-off on white collar corruption at the bank.
A report was compiled and findings tabled resulting in the immediate resignation of the International Banking Manager Crispen Mukamba and his assistant, the Assistant Manager-International Banking Tawanda Waited.
Reports are that the Chief Banking Officer Lionel Chinyamutangira and Head-Treasury Addison Shoniwa were sent on forced leave to facilitate investigations by Internal Audit.
Allegations are that 34 staff members and nine suspected relatives of staff members were involved in illegal money laundering deals.
Special investigations on the Deloitte tip off revealed that there were allegations of collection of proceeds of corruption by the International Banking Management department.
“Internal Audit’s concern is the collection of suspected bribes for the processing of customer telegraphic transfers (TT),” reads the report.
“A summary of staff collections of suspected corruption proceeds (being proceeds received into the noted accounts which were from Bank customers) noted to date by Internal Audit (January 2017 to June 2018) totals $280,347.54.”
Reports are that the banks International banking staff collected bribes to process TTs.
“Internal Audit contacted one of the customers, who indicated that NMB International banking staff collects bribes to process TTs.
“The customer could however not give much information as he is protective of the staff.”
It is alleged that efforts to interrogate Mukamba and Waited were unsuccessful as the two resigned from the bank and Mukamba’s phone was continuously ringing unanswered while Waited made indications to the effect that he was forced to immediately resign and was unwilling to discuss any further.
