‘Forensic audit not a witch hunt’
ZIFA board member finance Philemon Machana has allayed fears among affiliates that the association would engage in fresh audits of their books and clarified that their forensic audit would merely gather information from all stakeholders, including members.
Machana, insisted that OM Chartered Accountants, whom they have engaged to carry out the forensic audit of the period between 2009 and 2015 would not descend on their affiliates’ books.
“We just need to clarify that we are not probing any of our affiliates or any of our stakeholders, so there is nothing to fear. A forensic (audit) by its nature is different from a statutory audit and the auditors can request for more formation, be it from the PSL, the regions or even the Sports Commission to try and validate the information that would be before them. For instance,
“Parliament is guided by the courts, we are also under the courts, so we cannot preside over a matter which is before the courts. You came before us and I think what is important is for the chairman to see what recommendations from us can help you. Parliament is not the financials at ZIFA may be indicating that so much was paid out to the Sports Commission as levies for international matches against so much in revenue inflows from those games and the auditors will ask the Sports Commission if they received the all levies as stated and to their expectations.
“If not, they try to establish what could have caused the anomaly.
“Affiliates are key to our engagements in that they pay subscriptions, so it might indicate that Central Region have not paid subscriptions for two or three years, when in fact they could have been paying and it was not reflecting that they paid. So in a forensic audit, the auditors might need to interview the Central Region for more information and compare that with what we have,’’ Machana said.
The ZIFA finance director also hailed the Premier Soccer League for being
a debt collecting agency. We cannot be used for that. I think that is very clear.
“You go through the courts and you have to wait for the final determination of the court, like the chairman has said, because (if we go ahead and discuss those issues) we will then be sued by among the best compliant of their affiliate bodies.
“We are very happy with the PSL, they have been organised and they produce their audits every year. So like I said, we are not going to audit them again, but our auditors who are doing the forensic (audit) can request from more information from them on the revenue that was due to ZIFA and what was exactly paid.
“So this is not a witch-hunt, but an exercise to validate and where the auditors don’t find joy with formation in the ZIFA office, they may go to any of the stakeholders that would have had dealings with the association.
“A forensic (audit) also looks at the soundness of the decisions that were made, it could be the choice of accommodation, so current employees, former employees, former board members are among those that may be interviewed,’’ Machana said.
the other parties that you have taken to court.
“We are a Parliament that upholds the Constitution of this country and equally respect the Judiciary which is also another arm of the State,” said Mliswa.