Bosso treasurer cleared of fraud

REINSTATED Highlanders treasurer, Odiel Nkomo, has reportedly been cleared by a Harare-based forensic audit firm hired by the club to investigate financial irregularities. The auditors were called in following allegations that Nkomo had paid himself about $6 600 that the club owed him.

He reportedly advanced the money to the club when the previous executive chaired by Themba Ndlela was in office.

The club accused Nkomo of violating its rules and regulations as all expenditure is supposed to be authorised by the executive committee led by Peter Dube.

There were also allegations that there were no records to prove that Nkomo was owed money by the club with vice chairman Sikhanyiso Moyo, who also served under Ndlela, saying he was not aware that Nkomo was owed money by the club.

The confusion prompted the board's finance and turnaround committee, led by Mgcini Nkolomi, to intervene and it immediately suspended Nkomo pending the investigations.

Nkolomi's committee has two other members, Daves Ndumiso Sibanda and Filabusi-based board vice chairman, Jonathan Moyo.

In a dramatic twist of events, an emergency board meeting was called a few days later and Nkomo was reinstated to his position after the full board noted that a sub-committee had no powers to suspend an executive member.

The emergency meeting was reportedly tension-filled as some board members who supported Nkomo's suspension even threatened to walk out in protest over the decision to reinstate him.

In the meantime, the audit committee had already started its investigative work on those alleged financial irregularities.

"The audit team is through with its work and nothing untoward was found as everything was said to be above board, except maybe the grabbing of the money by Nkomo but records showed that he was owed money.

"Even former chairman Ndlela is reportedly owed about $9 000. In fact the audit team discovered that Nkomo was owed more than what he took," said a source close to the goings-on at the club.

Contacted for comment, board chairman Dumisani Sandi refused to shed more light on the findings but confirmed that the audit report was out.

"We have a joint board and executive meeting tomorrow (today) where I am sure that report will be discussed. We are not meeting to discuss the audit report per se but this is our scheduled fortnightly joint meeting with the executive," said Sandi who promised to give a full statement tomorrow.