RTC's CEO and director issued checks to pay severance to themselves

The chair of the Board of Directors of Radio Televisão Cabo-verdiana (RTC), Karine Miranda, and the executive director, Víctor Varela, in anticipation of their departure from the public company, decided to pay themselves their severance packages, which they also calculated themselves.

According to our sources, the case is causing significant controversy within RTC, especially since the chief financial officer himself reportedly refused to make the payment.

On the eve of the General Meeting that had been scheduled for last Thursday—but was subsequently postponed to today—Karine Miranda called the company’s chief financial officer and informed him that she had asked Human Resources to issue, for herself and Víctor Varela, the documents needed to settle their respective accounts.

The CEO feared that the General Meeting would oppose her plans for the management to remain in office and wanted to secure the checks immediately. In other words, if the Board of Directors were replaced, they would keep the checks; if it remained in place, the payment process would be canceled.

CFO refused to go along with it

Having doubts about the procedure and believing it to be outside normal protocols, the CFO refused to go along with it, which reportedly caused great frustration for Karine Miranda, who decided to request the checks directly from the Treasury and is still holding onto them.

The total amount of the two checks is approximately two million Cape Verdean escudos, which, according to our sources, exceeds what Karine Miranda and Victor Varela are actually entitled to receive. The funds advanced by the Chairperson and the executive director are intended to cover severance pay, vacation pay, and business expenses.

On the other hand, we were told that, in such cases, the payment of any severance pay must be made by the new Board of Directors (and not by those leaving office), which, in accordance with legal procedures, will determine the amounts to be paid.

The Board of Directors also includes another executive director, journalist Humberto Santos, who, unlike his colleagues, has not taken any steps to pay himself.

Appointment of a new Board of Directors is imminent

Meanwhile, this Friday, the 6th, the second General Meeting was held, since the one from the previous week had been postponed; the two members of the presiding committee were replaced, and the committee is now composed of economist Adilson Tavares (chair) and journalist Hulda Moreira (secretary). In addition, the previous members of the Audit Committee were removed.

Similarly, the composition of the Independent Council was announced: journalist and professor João Almeida and University of Cape Verde (Uni-CV) professor Sandra Lima. This body also includes a representative from the Platform of Non-Governmental Organizations and another from the National Association of Cape Verdean Municipalities.

The General Assembly’s Presiding Board will now swear in the new members of RTC’s Independent Council within a period not exceeding fifteen days.