Global Fund official linked to tender scam

The four senior officials in the Ministry of Health currently under investigation over misappropriated Global Fund resources allegedly flouted tendering rules, it has emerged. The officials are; Dr. Daniel Ngamije, the Coordinator of the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Global Fund, Jean Pierre Munyabugingo, a Procurement Specialist at the PMU, Jean Baptist Gatabazi, the Head of the Microbiology Unit at the National Reference Laboratory and Emmanuel Ruzindana, the head of the Parastology Unit. Dr. Anita Asiimwe, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against HIV/AIDS (CNLS) described the allegations against the four officials as; “scientific corruption.” “It is something to do with a tender we suspect not to have followed normal tendering procedures. It is still early to apportion blame though,” Asiimwe explained. She said: “They were favoring one supplier. We suspect that the supply could have promised a kickback,” Asiimwe revealed.The identity of this supplier was not readily available by press time. Tenders awarded by government institutions have come under heavy scrutiny and have raised many questions in the past, with persistent reports that the tendering processes are always marred by lack of transparency. The officials have already been sent on forced leave as investigations into the alleged offence continue. “That is why is it very hard to tell how much money is involved. We don’t know how much they were supposed to get from the supply,” Asiimwe added. A source from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told The NewTimes yesterday that investigations against the officials were being handled expeditiously. “The findings will be out soon,” the source who declined to be named said by phone. According to CNLS, the supply was supposed to secure equipment for the National Reference Laboratory. Investigations in the past had indicted that tenders are being awarded in total disregard of normal tendering procedures. Ends