63 suspended MoH staff return to work
Sixty-three workers suspended last year at Ministry of Health (MoH) over allegations of embezzling funds from a donor project have returned to work, it has been learnt. The development has come amid the absence of a final report on the audit commissioned by the donor, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), an agency of the United States of America (USA) government.
Confirming the news, MoH Principal Secretary Macphail Magwira dismissed suggestions that the 63 might interfere with the investigations.
He said investigations into the matter were concluded.
Said Magwira: “The suspension letters indicated that they should report back to the office on the 1st of April and they are just abiding by that. If the audit proves that these people really did embezzle the funds, then justice will take its course. There is no way we will keep such people.”
In December last year, the 63 were suspended after CDC raised the red flag that some officers at MoH collected allowances without undertaking field trips.
MoH then asked the National Audit Office (NAO) to help with an audit to establish the truth.
In an earlier interview, Magwira said the 63 were sent on forced leave to pave the way for investigations into millions of kwacha believed to have been misappropriated. n
