FORMER MEDICAL STORES DEPARTMENT BOSS IN COURT OVER FAKE HIV TEST KITS

Dar es Salaam.  Former Medical Stores Department (MSD) acting director general Sylvester Matandiko has finally appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court to answer charges related to the importation of fake HIV test kits.

Mr Matandiko is charged along with three others. They are Sadiki Materu, a Quality Assurance manager of MSD as well as Zainabu Mfaume and Joseph Nchimbi, registrars from the Private Health Laboratories Board with several counts including occasioning a Sh3 billion loss through a transaction involving importation of defective bioline HIV test kits.

While his fellow accused appeared at the court since last year and pleaded not guilty to the charges, Matandiko failed to show up after he was reported to be sick.

However, the court was yesterday forced to read the charges against Matandiko at the clerk’s office because the accused is suffering from stroke and was exempted from using  the stairs to enter the courtroom.

Reading the charges, Mr Leonard Swai, a prosecutor from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), alleged that on different dates between January 20 and July 20, 2012 at an unknown place in the city, Matandiko and his co accused conspired to commit the offence.

Prosecution alleged that on January 17, 2012 at MSD offices in Temeke District, when discharging his duties as the acting director general and director of Zonal Operations North of MSD, he intentionally abused his position by issuing the authorization to assist SD Africa Limited to import defective SD bioline HIV 1/2 3.0 devices.

The HIV testing kits were manufactured by Standard Diagnostics of Korea, contrary to the directives given by the government prohibiting importation of the said defective devices.

It was alleged that the act enabled the SD Africa Limited to obtain an undue advantage of $2,093,500.00 (equivalent to Sh3.4billion) for supplying the said defective HIV test kits to MSD.

Swai further alleged that on diverse dates between January 1, and July 20, 2012 the accused jointly and together by their willful acts caused the Tanzanian government to suffer a pecuniary loss of the sum amount.

Resident Magistrate Hellen Riwa adjourned the case to September 25 when it will come up for preliminary hearing.

The Citizen