29 charged with defrauding Gates fund
2013-03-10 21:23
Freetown - The head of Sierra Leone's anti-corruption commission says
that 29 government health officials will appear in court on corruption charges
for having allegedly defrauded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's vaccine
programme.
Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara said the government's chief medical officer, Dr
Kisito Sheku Daoh, six other medical doctors and 22 health officials are
charged with defrauding the Gates Foundation's Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunisation Fund of $523 000.
He said all those charged are out on bail and scheduled to appear in
court on 18 March.
The Gates Foundation's immunisation fund has suspended payments of $6m
to Sierra Leone over the allegations of misuse of funds.
The immunisation fund has disbursed more than $27m to Sierra Leone since
2001.
The GAVI is a public/private partnership that receives money from
several sources including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World
Health Organization, Uniceff and The World Bank.
- SAPA
