Piraeus Bank has rectified internal control deficiencies that emerged in a recent central bank audit, the chief executive of Greece’s largest lender said on Thursday.
“The Bank of Greece inquiry is an issue that has already been dealt with in our financial results in prior periods,” CEO Christos Megalou said in a telephone interview in New York, where he is meeting with investors.
“Aspects including deficiencies in internal controls and the performance of certain members of prior management have been addressed,” Megalou said. “These matters are firmly behind us, enabling us to focus exclusively now on executing our Agenda 2020.”
Megalou, appointed to take the reins of Piraeus in March, declined to comment on the nature of the deficiencies or how and when they were addressed. He also declined to elaborate on the central bank’s confidential audit report.
A source familiar with the report said the audit had uncovered breaches of Greek capital controls, failure to obtain required approvals and irregularities in some staff loans.
The findings have been passed to a supreme court prosecutor, the same source said.
The source familiar with the audit report said its main findings concerned violations of capital controls imposed in June 2015 to halt massive deposit outflows.
The Bank of Greece declined comment on its audit.
Piraeus Bank shares lost more than 20 percent on Wednesday after a newspaper reported that a Bank of Greece audit had found regulatory violations by a number of bankers employed at the lender from 2014 to 2016.
The bank said after Wednesday’s market close that it did not expect any material impact on its capital or financial situation as a result of the audit.
Source: Reuters
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