Zimbabwe cricket boss, Peter Chingoka cleared of any wrongdoing
THE International Cricket Council has cleared Zimbabwe Cricket of any wrongdoing and concluded that the organisation’s books were in order, except for minor improprieties.
The report, conducted by accounting group KPMG is understood to have found that no money had gone missing but some paperwork had been missing.
It is understood to have "found no evidence of criminality and that no individuals had gained financially" from the organisation’s funds.
“ZC reported to the ICC Board that it had taken substantial remedial action to correct these irregularities and would continue to do so,” said the KPMG report.
This decision comes as a shock as earlier reports by the ICC executive board had suggested that there was “hard evidence that financial details had been falsified within ZC's accounts.” KPMG said that they had found alarming but unsurprising irregularities in ZC's finances, including millions of dollars in ICC dividends that remained unaccounted for. The UK had asked for an "independent forensic audit".
"The audit is painting a very bad picture," an ICC signatory said at the time.
ZC cricket chairman, Peter Chingoka, always maintained that there were no financial irregularities and that the organisation’s financial books were in order.
Chingoka was only granted a limited-entry visa to the UK for last year's meeting and was subsequently denied entry in October.
Chingoka and chief executive Ozias Bvute will not face charges under the ICC's code of ethics, as earlier indicated by the ICC.
This issue had threatened to divide cricket managers internationally. Racial and political divides were evident in the ICC’s decision to take no action against Zimbabwe Cricket - or their chairman Peter Chingoka when the UK proposed a ban on all test matches with Zimbabwe.
Chingoka was supported by India, who always relied on Zimbabwe's support in any contentious vote, and South Africa, who had indicated that test matches scheduled to be played in Zimbabwe, could be moved to South Africa to allow the country to play.
"No individual or individuals can be singled out as having benefited from the finances of Zimbabwe Cricket," said Ray Mali of South Africa, the outgoing ICC president. He did admit that the board were concerned about "a number of irregularities" in the accounts, but these did not amount to fraud.
Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, declined to attend the media conference, an indication, of his unease at his earlier presumptuous judgment of Zimbabwe. Last year Speed said in a confidential but leaked memo that the ICC had been "misled" about some ZC transactions, concluding: "It is clear that the accounts of ZC have been deliberately falsified to mask various illegal transactions from the auditors and the government of Zimbabwe."
“They did not expect to get this result. They wanted Zimbabwe to be found guilty of irregularities. This disappoints the British government who were considering banning Zimbabweans from sporting activities in the UK. Chingoka had always maintained his innocence,” said a Zimbabwe cricket player who refused to be named.
“This news will not be good news to people like Gordon Brown and Henry Olonga who have strongly criticised Zimbabwe Cricket.”
A source at Westminster last year suggested that the government's thinking was that if a reputable firm like KPMG conducted the audit "it would be more difficult for ZC to cover up improprieties... they seem confident it will damn Chingoka and therefore vindicate the tough line they have adopted".
This will be an embarassment to British PM Gordon Brown and those politicians in Westminster who expected a different result.
Brown earlier this month indicated that he was considering a total ban on any Zimbabwean sports person wishing to compete in the United Kingdom
Despite the disappointment over Zimbabwe, the England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, Giles Clarke, described the meeting held in Dubai on Monday and Tuesday as "a valuable couple of days for English cricket".
This report by KPMG should help clear ZC’s tour to England next year and help retain its full voting rights. It might also be an important step in regaining test status.
Appointment of the next ICC CEO
The ICC Board selected South African Imtiaz Patel as its preferred candidate for the position of Chief Executive. Pending negotiations with Mr Patel it is hoped that he will take over from Malcolm Speed during the ICC’s annual conference at the end of June. Mr Speed has been ICC Chief Executive since 2001.
New ICC Director
The Board welcomed Arjuna Ranatunga to his first meeting as an ICC Director – Mr Ranatunga is the newly appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket and before the meeting started he received his ICC Director’s tie from ICC President Ray Mali.
