INSS thwarts 100,000 meticais embezzlement scheme

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INSS thwarts 100,000 meticais embezzlement scheme

5:42 CAT | 05 May 2017

O País (File photo) / INSS in Maputo

The National Institute of Social Security (INSS) has thwarted a scheme to misappropriate 100,000 Meticais (around US$1,500 at current exchange rates) of Social Security contributions from a Mozambican service company.

The operation dismantled a network involving a private accountant who worked for the defrauded company and workers at a bank in Maputo. The scheme was discovered “as a result of the campaign to collect debts from debtor companies”, INSS official Sarmento Senda said.

“As part of this campaign, which began on 22 March, the alleged debtor company was approached and provided evidence of having paid its contributions in good time.

However, when investigations were carried out, it was found that these amounts had never been received by the INSS, since “they were collected in the bank and divided among the embezzlement partners”. Also as a result of an INSS internal audit, it was possible to detect a fraud practiced by an accounting official in the Inhambane provincial delegation.

According to Nura Remane, INSS delegate in Inhambane, the official was able to obtain a copy of the institution’s safe deposit code and regularly withdraw amounts of petty cash totalling 3,800 meticais (around US$60 at current exchange rates).

“As a result of the evidence, a disciplinary process is in progress, in parallel with the criminal process. Given the type of infraction committed, the official may be expelled from the institution, as there are strong indications that he has repeatedly acted fraudulently,” he added.

Source: Verdade