Ethical concerns over Zimbabwe Cricket's new auditor

Although the independent forensic audit into the affairs of Zimbabwe Cricket has still yet to be made public, Cricinfo has learned that Ruzengwe and Partners, the small Harare-based firm that carried it out, have been appointed as auditors to the board.

The forensic audit, demanded by the government after allegations of financial impropriety were levelled against the ZC executive, was launched in March 2006 by Peter Chingoka, the ZC chairman.

Until recently, the routine audit work was carried out on an honorary basis - ie for free - by Price Waterhouse Coopers, a firm of international standing with offices in Harare. It is unclear whether Ruzengwe and Partners are also working without payment, or whether PWC stood down or were replaced..

An accountant who has worked on ZC's accounts in the past told Cricinfo that there were questions over the appointment of the same outfit who had carried out the forensic audit to this role. "At a large blue-chip firm questions would be asked regarding a potential conflict of interest," he said. "I think there are clear ethical concerns."

Many stakeholders are concerned that no accounts since 2005 have been made public either. The old constitution stipulated that audited accounts had to be presented to the AGM within a specified period. One former senior ZC official told Cricinfo that "you would have thought that audited accounts would have had to be presented to an AGM held within a prescribed period after the year end ... but we have not had sight of the latest constitution."

Another official with close links to the ZC said: "For the board to be taken seriously and properly discharge its mandate, it is responsible for ensuring that an annual audit of ZC finances is done in timely manner by a reputable firm of auditors, and that the financial statements contain a full and proper explanation of all movements in ZC finances over the preceding 12 month period. This basic reporting requirement is legislated by statute in Zimbabwe.

"Stakeholders have been subjected to a two-year battle to obtain the books and this has resulted in calls for a forensic audit ... {which has] diverted resources away from cricket. Let's face it, none of this would have been necessary had the board being doing its job properly in the first place."

The last audited accounts made public were for the year ending April 30, 2005 and were prepared by PWC.