adminRichard Muponde, Sunday News Correspondent
A FORMER employee of Stanbic Bank has instituted a $5 million lawsuit against his former employer for defamation after accusing him of being a “fraudster” when some anomalies were detected during the course of his work.
Shingirayi Nyoka, who was employed by Stanbic as an exchange control officer, was accused of misconduct and taken to a disciplinary hearing before he was dismissed in 2006.
However, he was later exonerated by the Labour Court in the same year and reinstated before he was paid his dues and amicably parted ways with the bank.
After he severed ties with Stanbic Bank, he then filed summons of Z$250 000 000 000 for defamation arguing that the allegations which had been levelled against him tainted his standing among his peers at work.
However, the matter has been dragging on since then until dolarisation leading him recently applying to amend his summons and filing a US$5 million claim.
In his declaration, Nyoka through his lawyer, Mr Godwin Sengweni said during the course of his employment Stanbic Bank levelled allegations against his performance at work, saying it had uncovered significant anomalies in his work at Msasa branch and failure to follow laid down procedures.
He said the bank failed to comply with standing instructions or follow established procedures.
Nyoka said the allegations were false, wrongful and unfounded and were therefore defamatory to him as they were understood by his peers at work to mean that he was fraudulent, reckless and inefficient in the performance or execution of his duties.
He said as a result his good standing and repute as an honest, competent, hardworking and loyal employee was damaged and chances of him pursuing his career in banking were dented. The matter is awaiting a pre-trial conference and has not been allocated a judge as yet.
derick.khumalo