Correspondent|Leading accounting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) has started inviting the suspended Zesa Holdings managers for interviews as the forensic audit as the ongoing investigations gather momentum.

Impeccable sources inside the power utility said PWC has been inviting suspended managers for interviews in regards to the allegations of misappropriation of funds.

15 managers from across the power utility company’s subsidiaries were put on 90 days mandatory leave.

This was shortly after Zesa Group Chief executive officer Josh Chifamba and two other senior managers were charged with criminal abuse of office in October.

This emanated from irregular deals to the tune of $35 million with Indian company, PME.

PWC’s forensic audit seeks to verify information on how tenders were issued, board minutes, procurement documentation, fraud incidents reports as well as all procurement documentation for the Intratek Gwanda solar project.

The auditors are also said to have asked for finance reports of the power utility company for the past three years .

Meanwhile, Zesa board chairman Herbert Murerwa is on record for saying the suspended managers will receive salaries and benefits while on ‘forced’ leave.

Zesa Holdings has been plagued for years by scandals involving corporate malpractice, questionable tender allocation and blatant cases of corruption that have bled the of company millions of dollars.

In 2015 Zesa executives unilaterally donated almost $1,2 million to politicians and various organisations instead of the officially approved $300 000.

In July this year, Former Energy Minister Samuel Undenge was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of prejudicing Zesa Holdings subsidiary, ZPC of $12,650.

Apart from major scandals, lengthy projects and price escalations on tenders have resulted in the power company straining under $ 1 billion debt and owes its regional power suppliers close to $100 million.

M&T