Menu
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10

Biography

Unibank

I later started at Unibank in a temporally position. Like at DPSA three months contracts extended up to one year.

At Unibank I experienced a lot of problems right from the start by questioning a lot of operational, fraud and other things.

Only a few weeks after my appointment, I discovered fraud of R42 000, which lead to other fraud of R2 million. Despite my temporally position as general worker and the fact that I actually had nothing to do with supervising or even remotely with fraud detection, I just cannot help to detect a lot of fraud every now and then.

However, due to the fact that most management members don’t really care and forms sort of closed group with friends and family appointed in selected positions, it become more and more difficult to handle and report such fraud and administration problems.

When I later detect the operation of a syndicate related to such fraud I made an appointment with top senior official but on the specific day his secretary simple tell me to work through my functional head. At that stage I already report hell of a lot fraud cases to Fraud Investigation Department but despite the fact that I actually shown them proof that a syndicate are operational they just ignore such problems.

In fact, management later make it so difficult for me that I had to give them a written letter stated that I will ignore such fraud but don’t accept any responsibility whatsoever for non-reporting thereof.

About four or five months before the Unibank (Unifer) trouble an ex-detective worked at fraud department approach me and said that his manager promised a permanent appointment for me in their department. After I don’t hear anything further I asked what happens but the answer was that Personnel Department declined such appointment.

Well, what the hell, I had 11 years experience at ABSA, I already over and over again show proof about my abilities to detect and investigate fraud and Personnel Department don’t even meet me personally so why did they declined such appointment anyway while they appoint our Senior Manager’s young daughter in relative high position at a permanent base. 

When I started to do some enquiries, a lot of people and this include senior staff, told me that personnel department do just what they want but that nobody can do anything about that. Well. I don’t have anything against woman, but the whole personnel department and also nearly the whole middle management team consist of woman and in this case its very clear discrimination.

So I started an official grievance procedure against Unibank with the main grievances as. 

Poor commitment, as well as co-operation, of senior management with regards to a strong and healthy Unibank as work environment and company, and 

A Human Resource Department that seems to ignore the importance of a happy and positive employee corps.

Despite the fact that I discovered fraud totalling R6 million, pointed out several irregularities with brokers and that the official grievance regulations stipulated a maximum of approximately one month to resolve an official grievance, Unibank top management ignored this for nearly three months.

Three days before my contract ended I had a meeting with some top management officials that went very well and in such extent that they asked me what they can do for me.

On the last day of my contract I simple received a letter stated that there is no suitable position available and that they wish me good luck and such things. They also stated that, since the official grievance are not finalised, they undertakes to look into those matters. (As far as I know it’s illegal to terminate my service if an official grievance is still hanging. The 40+ other temporally workers contracts are also extended while mine are not)

Anyway, the next day I read in the newspaper that Ronel van der Merwe Brokers take Unibank to court for the same reasons (Gross management neglect and fraud) and joined Ronel van der Merwe brokers a day later. (It later appears that the ex-detective that trying to get permanent appoint for me, was also busy to investigate fraud pointed to top management involvement but his mandate to investigate fraud was terminated by the CEO of Unibank and he was transferred to another department)

(By the way. Ronel is the wife of Gerrit vd Merwe. He was the CEO of Unibank and build Unibank during a ten year period up to what it was but was later worked out with some clever moves by sending him to oxford for further study etc) 

Like so many times during the past few years there is always something what gone wrong. Ronel appoint me in managerial position at her business and I worked very hard to get a new computer system up and running. However, despite the fact that Unibank owned Ronel a few million rand, the high court case was dismissed on a single technical point.

This caused the closure of the business and there was I again without work. (I could take Unibank to court for terminated my contract with the official grievance still hanging, but since started at Ronel with a much better position and future ahead I didn’t. It also don’t help much that Unibank (Unifer) went down shortly thereafter)

Next Page

Note:  About two years later somebody from Australia read this biography.  He was one of Unibank's top management members (Internal Audit) but eventually resigned and moved to Australia.

The email that I received from him was very revealing and it seems that the fraud stretched far wider and deeper into top management level than as suspected by myself.