PECB certifies Heritage Bank despite revocation of license
Canada-based certification body, the Professional Evaluation and Certification Board PECB, has given Heritage Bank Limited a management system certificate in spite of the fact the bank has had its license revoked by the Bank of Ghana.
“It is with great pleasure that we congratulate your company on attaining the PECB Management System Certificate signifying that your organisation has been assessed and found to be in accordance with the management system requirements in ISO/IEC 27001:2013,” PECB said in a communiqé to the management of Heritage Bank that:
“The scope of HBL Information Security Management System (ISMS) includes all employees, business and support activities carried in HBL’s Head Office and Datacenter Facility based at Plot No 6, Airport City, NCA Tower, First Floor and Part of the Ground Floor, Accra, Ghana, in accordance with Statement of Applicability (SoA), Ver. 1
“Your certificate number is: C578-ISMS173-01-19, and is valid until 2022-01-16”, the letter, signed by CEO Eric Lachapelle; and President & COO Faton Aliu, said.
The notice from PCEB added that two separate audits will be conducted on the now-defunct bank.
“In order to maintain the certificate, your organisation will be subjected to two surveillance audits. The first surveillance audit will take place no longer than 12 months from the initial certification audit.
“Additionally, the second surveillance audit will take place in no longer than 12 months from the first surveillance audit”.
Heritage Bank’s license was revoked due to a suspicious stated capital according to the BoG, as well as their inability to meet the new GHc400 million minimum capital requirement.
The bank was absorbed by Consolidate Bank Ghana Limited, joining six other banks as part of reforms in the banking sector.
The Governor of the BoG, Dr Ernest Addison also sai that, the involvement of Mr. Agongo in the ongoing trial over alleged fraud in a Cocobod fertilizer contract, meant he was unfit to hold a banking license.
But Seidu Agongo accused Dr. Ernest Addison, of acting in bad faith.
Mr. Agongo said the BoG Governor’s assertions were not backed by facts.
“As at the time of this statement, as was at the time of the Governor’s press conference, there had been no determination either by the High Court nor any other authority for that matter, that the funds derived from contracts with Cocobod are in any manner or form illegal or criminal warranting my characterization by the Central Bank as not fit and proper.”
BoG has done a ‘grave injustice’
The Former Board of Directors of now-defunct Bank had earlier lamented claims made by the BoG for the revocation of the license.
In a statement sighted by citinewsroom.com, the former directors of Heritage Bank said the claims by the Central Bank were either “completely false or inaccurate”.
According to them, the central bank failed to adequately provide them with the necessary assistance, adding that the action by the BoG is “a terrible precedent that does not bode well for the future.”
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Source: citinewsroom.