News / Local
Auditors ordered into Mpilo after bomb scare
28 Apr 2015 at 06:56hrs | Views
THE Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa has ordered auditors to immediately move in at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo following a bomb scare last week linked to an unravelling tender scandal at the institution.
The institution's board had to be evacuated during a meeting after an anonymous caller told police there was a bomb planted in the referral hospital's boardroom on Wednesday last week.
Sources at the hospital said the incident represented the latest in desperate Mafia-style tactics aimed at instilling fear among board members and stopping an extensive audit into tender procedures at the hospital.
Armed police officers swooped on the hospital on Wednesday evening while the board members were whisked away to safety.
Hospital staff said police called acting clinical director Dr Solwani Ngwenya at around 5PM and told him they had received information that there was a bomb in the boardroom.
"There was commotion as he rushed to notify board members who were having a meeting in the boardroom. Suddenly armed police officers arrived in three vehicles and rushed to the boardroom," said an official.
"Minutes later, we were stunned to see the board members and people working in the administration block being hustled out of the building. The board members were quickly driven away."
On Monday last week staff arrived at work to find the hospital's accounts offices had been burgled.
Mpilo Central Hospital board chairperson Sichelesile Moyo-Ncube said the burglars could have been looking for documents that were used in the initial audit. She said the documents were not at the hospital.
Hospital officials said the burglars could have been on a mission to plant documents that would influence the outcome of future audits.
On Tuesday Dr Ngwenya lost keys to the offices of the four senior officials who were suspended after the audit, when thieves broke into his car outside a supermarket in the city.
Speaking from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on Friday, Dr David Parirenyatwa said he had ordered auditors to move in immediately.
"I've been briefed about the bomb issue, the burglary and theft of keys. The auditors must move in immediately before the situation gets out of hand," said Dr Parirenyatwa.
"I want to say as government we won't buckle due to these mafia tactics. We will investigate this case to the end and the guilty shall face the music."
He said his ministry was taking tough action to ensure "the image of the premier medical institution in the country's southern region is protected".
The minister said he would be in the country this week and would be able to give a full comment after being briefed.
He could not be reached on his mobile phone yesterday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo on Thursday said there was no bomb in the boardroom.
"There was no bomb. It was just a rumour. Police are keeping a heavy presence at the hospital following the burglary on Sunday," said Insp Moyo.
A preliminary audit carried out in February this year suggested one of the largest referral hospitals in the country was losing millions of dollars through tender fraud.
Officials called on the Health Services Board (HSB) to expedite the deployment of the auditors.
"Recent events are shocking and scary. We now think there is more to this tender scam than meets the eye. The HSB should quickly get this audit done before these terror tactics get out of hand," said an official who requested anonymity.
The official said the board should go over the suspended officials' offices with a "fine tooth comb" as there seemed to be something important that someone was determined to get at.
Mpilo chief executive officer Dr Lawrence Mantiziba, operations director Duduza Regina Moyo, finance director Charles Govo and Mxolisi Sibanda, the chairperson of the central buying unit were suspended on Friday last week after being implicated in the tender rot.
The Chronicle broke the story on the alleged corruption in February when a $3 million tender, which had been awarded to Bulawayo businessman Ashton Mpofu's New Planet Company, was cancelled after he allegedly refused to bribe Mantiziba and Moyo. Mantiziba and Moyo strongly deny allegations of soliciting bribes.
Moyo alleged Mpofu threatened to harm her following the cancellation of the tender and requested a bodyguard.
The tender, according to the audit report, had been illegally and unnecessarily split into smaller ones.
Auditors said if the contract had been given to one company, it would have cost approximately $1,049 million. After being split up, it ended up costing more than $2 million.
Corruption has always been whispered about at Mpilo Central Hospital but no action had been taken until Dr Parirenyatwa appointed a new board last year.
The board comprises Moyo-Ncube as chairperson, Siqokoqela Mphoko, Goodness Msimanga, Hudson Hlabangana, Prince Kunaka and Nomathemba Ndiweni.
The institution's board had to be evacuated during a meeting after an anonymous caller told police there was a bomb planted in the referral hospital's boardroom on Wednesday last week.
Sources at the hospital said the incident represented the latest in desperate Mafia-style tactics aimed at instilling fear among board members and stopping an extensive audit into tender procedures at the hospital.
Armed police officers swooped on the hospital on Wednesday evening while the board members were whisked away to safety.
Hospital staff said police called acting clinical director Dr Solwani Ngwenya at around 5PM and told him they had received information that there was a bomb in the boardroom.
"There was commotion as he rushed to notify board members who were having a meeting in the boardroom. Suddenly armed police officers arrived in three vehicles and rushed to the boardroom," said an official.
"Minutes later, we were stunned to see the board members and people working in the administration block being hustled out of the building. The board members were quickly driven away."
On Monday last week staff arrived at work to find the hospital's accounts offices had been burgled.
Mpilo Central Hospital board chairperson Sichelesile Moyo-Ncube said the burglars could have been looking for documents that were used in the initial audit. She said the documents were not at the hospital.
Hospital officials said the burglars could have been on a mission to plant documents that would influence the outcome of future audits.
On Tuesday Dr Ngwenya lost keys to the offices of the four senior officials who were suspended after the audit, when thieves broke into his car outside a supermarket in the city.
Speaking from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on Friday, Dr David Parirenyatwa said he had ordered auditors to move in immediately.
"I've been briefed about the bomb issue, the burglary and theft of keys. The auditors must move in immediately before the situation gets out of hand," said Dr Parirenyatwa.
"I want to say as government we won't buckle due to these mafia tactics. We will investigate this case to the end and the guilty shall face the music."
He said his ministry was taking tough action to ensure "the image of the premier medical institution in the country's southern region is protected".
He could not be reached on his mobile phone yesterday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo on Thursday said there was no bomb in the boardroom.
"There was no bomb. It was just a rumour. Police are keeping a heavy presence at the hospital following the burglary on Sunday," said Insp Moyo.
A preliminary audit carried out in February this year suggested one of the largest referral hospitals in the country was losing millions of dollars through tender fraud.
Officials called on the Health Services Board (HSB) to expedite the deployment of the auditors.
"Recent events are shocking and scary. We now think there is more to this tender scam than meets the eye. The HSB should quickly get this audit done before these terror tactics get out of hand," said an official who requested anonymity.
The official said the board should go over the suspended officials' offices with a "fine tooth comb" as there seemed to be something important that someone was determined to get at.
Mpilo chief executive officer Dr Lawrence Mantiziba, operations director Duduza Regina Moyo, finance director Charles Govo and Mxolisi Sibanda, the chairperson of the central buying unit were suspended on Friday last week after being implicated in the tender rot.
The Chronicle broke the story on the alleged corruption in February when a $3 million tender, which had been awarded to Bulawayo businessman Ashton Mpofu's New Planet Company, was cancelled after he allegedly refused to bribe Mantiziba and Moyo. Mantiziba and Moyo strongly deny allegations of soliciting bribes.
Moyo alleged Mpofu threatened to harm her following the cancellation of the tender and requested a bodyguard.
The tender, according to the audit report, had been illegally and unnecessarily split into smaller ones.
Auditors said if the contract had been given to one company, it would have cost approximately $1,049 million. After being split up, it ended up costing more than $2 million.
Corruption has always been whispered about at Mpilo Central Hospital but no action had been taken until Dr Parirenyatwa appointed a new board last year.
The board comprises Moyo-Ncube as chairperson, Siqokoqela Mphoko, Goodness Msimanga, Hudson Hlabangana, Prince Kunaka and Nomathemba Ndiweni.
Source - chronicle
