News / National
Health Director's corruption case flops
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The much-anticipated trial of Portia Manangazira, Health Director responsible for planning, coordination, and management of health programs at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, once again failed to commence yesterday due to the non-appearance of key witnesses.
Manangazira faces four counts of criminal abuse of duty related to alleged irregularities in the procurement and deployment of resources during the Covid-19 pandemic response.
This marks yet another postponement after the State repeatedly requested adjournments owing to the failure of top ministry officials, summoned as witnesses, to attend court despite prior warnings.
According to the State, an allocation of US$796,675 was made by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Between July 16, 2020, and January 19, 2021, Manangazira is alleged to have unlawfully authorized the procurement of goods and services worth US$280,529 without adhering to the mandated tender procedures under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
Furthermore, Manangazira is accused of improperly selecting 1,000 health community workers to be deployed nationwide for Covid-19 awareness campaigns without involving provincial and district medical directors, breaching established protocols. These workers were reportedly paid US$600 each for three months of service.
Preliminary investigations indicated that 28 of the recruited workers were relatives of Manangazira, including her father, raising questions of nepotism.
In addition, she allegedly authorized the issuance of 3,290 litres of diesel coupons to privately owned vehicles not registered with the Health Ministry, further deepening the allegations of misuse of public resources.
The trial will be rescheduled as the prosecution continues efforts to secure the attendance of critical witnesses. Meanwhile, public interest remains high as the case highlights ongoing concerns over accountability and governance in the management of health resources during the pandemic.
Manangazira faces four counts of criminal abuse of duty related to alleged irregularities in the procurement and deployment of resources during the Covid-19 pandemic response.
This marks yet another postponement after the State repeatedly requested adjournments owing to the failure of top ministry officials, summoned as witnesses, to attend court despite prior warnings.
According to the State, an allocation of US$796,675 was made by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Between July 16, 2020, and January 19, 2021, Manangazira is alleged to have unlawfully authorized the procurement of goods and services worth US$280,529 without adhering to the mandated tender procedures under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
Furthermore, Manangazira is accused of improperly selecting 1,000 health community workers to be deployed nationwide for Covid-19 awareness campaigns without involving provincial and district medical directors, breaching established protocols. These workers were reportedly paid US$600 each for three months of service.
Preliminary investigations indicated that 28 of the recruited workers were relatives of Manangazira, including her father, raising questions of nepotism.
In addition, she allegedly authorized the issuance of 3,290 litres of diesel coupons to privately owned vehicles not registered with the Health Ministry, further deepening the allegations of misuse of public resources.
The trial will be rescheduled as the prosecution continues efforts to secure the attendance of critical witnesses. Meanwhile, public interest remains high as the case highlights ongoing concerns over accountability and governance in the management of health resources during the pandemic.
Source - H-Metro
