MUTARE City Council has fired an accounts clerk while three
others resigned as the local authority widens its probe into fraudulent
financial transactions that resulted in leakages running into millions over the
years.
Town Clerk, Mr Joshua Maligwa, said one of the implicated
workers, Tinashe Nzounhenda, was dismissed from duty following a disciplinary
hearing while three others resigned before their cases could be heard.
Moreblessing Dhliwayo and Tsitsi Katombo resigned after one
of the implicated workers, Hazvineyi Magobeya, turned into a witness and
exposed the rot which was taking place in the finance department.
Apparently overwhelmed by the evidence their colleague was
bringing out, the three chose to save face and tender resignations.
“This is just a tip of an ice-berg and the on-going audit
process will unearth a lot more. We want to get to the bottom of all this and
bring to book all those involved.
“Those implicated will have their day before a disciplinary
hearing and if we find nothing, innocent workers will be acquitted accordingly.
“We are not on a witch hunt but we are on a mission to
sweep the Civic Centre of corrupt activities that were bringing the city on its
knees. The guilty ones must be afraid because we are closing-in on them,” he
said.
Mr Maligwa said some workers in the finance department were
under investigation for engaging into illegal foreign currency and black market
transactions at various council banking halls in the city.
“These workers were taking cash from clients and then swipe
the equivalent into the system. Some of them pocketed foreign currency brought
by clients to pay bills and deposited RTGS into the system. There is a lot of
paper trail to prove this and auditors are working around the clock to bring
out everything. Council coffers must be manned by honest employees and not
crooks,” he said.
The local authority, which is facing financial problems has
since sought the services of internal and external auditors to recover more
than $2 million it claims was siphoned out of its financial system through a
well-knit employee syndicate. Manica Post
0 comments:
Post a Comment