PHILLIMON MHLANGA
The ZIFA board will tomorrow discuss findings of the damning forensic audit report released last week, BT Sport can report.
It is feared ZIFA could have suffered significant financial prejudice.
The expose is part of the forensic audit report findings by BDO Chartered Accountants, which unearthed a number of irregularities in the way financial transactions were done by the Felton Kamambo led executive.
The audit covered the period between December 1, 2018 to November 30, 2021.
The latest development was revealed by ZIFA interim president, Gift Banda.
“We are going to table the report to the board on November 25, 2022. The board member will discuss the findings and we decide how we proceed, “ Banda told Business Times.
BDO Chartered Accountants said some documents needed by the auditors were not availed by banks. Some officials who were part of the ZIFA board during the period under investigations, did not respond to questionnaires , meaning their explanations were not included in the report.
One big expose was that a grant of US$182 700 from FIFA received on December 20, 2018, was not recorded in ZIFA’s books of accounts for 2018.
The grant was deposited into FIFA designated Ecobank account number 0181197610292101, which was opened on December 20, 2018 by Kamambo, Philemon Machana and Joseph Mamutse, who were the signatories.
According to the accountant the new account had not been disclosed to the ZIFA finance department by the end of the 2018 financial year, hence the omission of the grant from the financial statements.
It was noted that several cash withdrawals were made in the name of Mamutse in December 2018.
It was also found that FIFA in 2019 made direct payments to ZIFA suppliers amounting to US$306 449.20. There were no supporting documents for such transactions.
“We found it unusual that FIFA paid ZIFA suppliers directly. Due to lack of information, we could not establish the reason from both FIFA and ZIFA why that was the case,” reads part of the report.
There were also several cash withdrawals, but no supporting documents were availed by ZIFA.
Football equipment worth more than US$1 million was also purchased from Rollertag Investment by ZIFA from FIFA grants.
However, there was no evidence available to prove the purchases from Rollertag above the US$50 000 limit was approved by the board.
Some deliveries were still outstanding up to the time of investigations.
Marshall Jonga, a shareholder of Rollertag confirmed goods were yet to be delivered.
He said goods were still in his warehouse.
Jonga is head of beach soccer and a ZIFA councillor, a situation which created conflict of interest.
According to the audit report, Jonga did not declare his interest to ZIFA.
