Maseru | Monday
THE Amalgamated Banks of South Africa has begun assessing the financial situation of Mozambique’s Banco Austral, ahead of the troubled bank’s reprivatization and only days after its chairman was apparently murdered.
Police have indicated that Antonio Siba Siba Macuacua was on Saturday apparently pushed down the steps from the 15th floor of the bank’s headquarters building in Maputo.
The killing took place two days before he was to submit a report on the troubled bank’s financial situation to Absa, winner of the competition to re-privatise the institution.
President Joaquim Chissano has reiterated the need to fight “such horrible crimes as quickly as possible”.
“I do not know what interests could profit from killing a bank’s chairman of the board”, Chissano said, while urging a “thorough” investigation, to accompany the “expert” help, in this case brought in from South Africa.
Prime Minister Pascoal Mocumbi in turn pledge Tuesday to make “all means” available for investigation of the death.
Absa meanwhile began on Monday its assessment of Banco Austral’s financial situation ahead of its planned purchase of a controlling stake.
Mozambique’s central bank had last April been forced to intervene in Banco Austral last April, appointing Macuacua provisional chairman of the board, after the withdrawal of its majority Malaysian shareholders.
The bank’s reprivatization process is nevertheless expected to go ahead, with 80% of the share capital due to be sold in September – the entire stake now held by Mozambican state.
The remaining 20% are in the hands of Banco Austral managers and employees. – AFP