Whistleblowing

The Bank is committed to achieving the highest possible standards of service and the highest possible ethical standards in all its practices. To achieve these, it encourages freedom of speech and open communication.

It also encourages its employees to use internal mechanisms for reporting any malpractice or illegal acts or omissions by other employees and senior management.

In line with these commitments, this policy aims to provide an avenue for stakeholders to raise concerns and receive assurance that they will be protected from reprisals or victimisation for whistleblowing.

The Whistle Blowing Policy is therefore intended to provide protection for anyone, including all categories of employees, who escalates concerns regarding the Bank's activities and practices.

Concerns covered by this policy include, but are not limited to:

• All forms of financial malpractices or impropriety such as fraud, corruption, bribery, or theft.
• Actions detrimental to health and safety or the environment.
• Any form of criminal activity.
• Improper conduct or unethical behaviour that undermines universal and core ethical values such as integrity, respect, honesty, accountability, and fairness.
• Failure to comply with regulatory directives, administrative or internal policy framework.
• Failure to comply with legal obligations or statutes.
• Other forms of corporate governance breaches.
• Connected transactions.
• Insider abuse.
• Non-disclosure of interest.
• Sexual or physical abuse of any staff, customer, applicant, service provider and other relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct translating to gross waste of resources.
• Attempt to conceal any of the above listed acts.