By Sikhumbuzo Moyo
Highlanders will present unaudited end of year financial statements to members at an annual general meeting this Sunday after the club’s auditors declined to go through their books.
While Highlanders’ spokesperson Ronald Moyo was at pains to explain this unprecedented move, Bosso’s audit firm PNA Chartered Accountants could neither confirm nor deny the development and referred all inquiries to the club.
“Please get in touch with Highlanders who will tell you all the reasons (behind non-auditing of the books). We have no further comment,” said the audit firm.
Moyo said: “What is key though is that our accounts will eventually be audited, but only maybe after two weeks from now and that means during the meeting on Sunday, members won’t get audited accounts and may then have to agree at that meeting not to have the treasurer’s report presented until the audit”.
He said there was certain ‘information’ that the club wanted from other stakeholders such as the Premier Soccer League and even their sponsors, who are still closed for the festive holidays.
“The auditors had indicated that they needed a certain period of time to work on the books, but that time was certainly not there largely because of manpower challenges in the office,” said Moyo.
Sources privy to the matter however told Chronicle Sport that the decision to send office staff on forced leave for two months late last year was ill-timed as it was a critical period to audit the books.
“These guys sent the lady who does the books on forced two months’ leave at a crucial and critical time for the audit process in September, but still that can’t be an excuse. There are properly run organisations that produce monthly financial statements and at the end of the year you just collate monthly reports.
“It’s clear that throughout the year people were just sitting in the office doing nothing, including those who were supposed to supervise them and as members we are extremely disturbed by this lackadaisical approach to club issues. This is a first for our club and it’s a sad first,” said the source. The Chronicle
