By Kudakwashe Mutandi
Four senior executives at the cash-strapped Air Zimbabwe allegedly paid themselves US$70 000 each last year over three months while low-level workers got just US$200 a month.
It is alleged that between July and September last year the four also changed systems to have their pay in cash instead of being paid into bank accounts. It is not known what the payments were for.
The cash payments and what was thought to be collection of all debts by Air Zimbabwe to the four prompted the strike by pilots, which crippled the national airline and prejudiced the company of US$3,1 million.
The figures are contained in an internal audit report on salary payments. Air Zimbabwe’s acting CEO, Mr Innocent Mavhunga, declined to comment on the report and referred the queries to the board chairman. Board chair Mr Jonathan Kadzura also declined to comment.
On the fraud side of the investigation, the auditors were fairly certain when they reported to the last finance audit committee on March 3 that they had tracked how a salaries officer had allegedly diverted more than US$90 000 before fleeing to Britain.
The alleged scam involved extra payments to the salaries account held at CBZ over a number of months before the salaries officer allegedly took the money and ran away.
The audit was to ensure that salaries were paid only to actual employees at authorised rates of pay, payrolls were correctly calculated and correct payments were made. “Salaries and allowances are processed on the Belina payroll system and the net pay is paid via the Paynet system.
“This therefore means that the payroll Paynet batch salaries held at our offices are supposed to match those processed by the bank into individual accounts,” reads part of the report.
“Total amount on Pay Office Paynet batch salaries report and the corresponding batch transmitted to CBZ do not agree in some cases.”
According to Paynet batch number 00654 on August 6, 2010 the payment amount was US$120 864 but US$131 864 was transferred to the CBZ Bank salaries account. Another Paynet batch (number 00684) on December 24, 2010 reflected US$253 684 but the amount allegedly transferred to CBZ was US$264 684; which was again US$11 000 extra.
“The account number either belonged to a ‘ghost worker’ or an Air Zimbabwe accomplice,” part of the report reads. According to the CBZ loss control manager, the money was credited to an account number and not a name.
