Auditor defends report into Crown Converters' sh1.6b loss

The managing director of Grande Afrique Consulting on Tuesday defended a forensic audit into the mismanagement of sh1.6b from Crown Converters Ltd.

Godffrey Mwika denied claims during cross examination by defence lawyers that the audit report which he prepared, after fraud in which Crown Converters dealers in stationery lost sh1.6b contained anomalies.

Mwika told Justice Margaret Tibulya of the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala, that he established that company resolution was forged adding that when he tried to contact some of those people implicated in the fraud, he could not trace them.

Mwika while testifying as a prosecution witness said he established that Patel Aniket, Taylor Alplesh Aniket, Patel Laxmikant and Dave Shailesh allegedly could have been part of the fraud.

He told court that his finding was that sh1.6b could not be accounted for at the time he prepared his reports.

Mwika said he acted professionally without any bias adding that he stands by the information in the report.

While responding to questions from defence lawyer Kabiito Karamagi in court, Mwika said he did his best as a professional auditor as soon as the fraud allegations were made, he got all the necessary documents to guide him in carrying out the audit report.

Prosecution led by senior state attorney Barbara Kawuma said Aniket, Laximiknat, Aplesh and Shailesh allegedly conspired between June 2005 and December 2009 at Crown Converters offices in Kampala to steal from the company.

They are charged with embezzlement, forgery, and uttering false documents. They denied the charges.

Prosecution said that the fraud was unearthed by one of the managers Go Pal Patel, that money meant for Crown Converters Ltd was illegally transferred  to  private  accounts of the accused.

It is further alleged that Police inquiries revealed that a number of resolutions binding the company (Crown Converters) had been changed without the knowledge of other directors.

Prosecution said a separate Police investigation also established that the accused stole sh1,676,445,058.

The case was adjourned to September14 for further hearing.