2.6mn afs embezzled in Ghazni Covid-19 fund

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Medical equipment and medicines required for coronavirus treatment have been purchased at a higher rate for Covid-19 Treatment Centre in Ghazni province, Pajhwok Afghan News has learned reliably.

In total the equipment were purchased at 2,654,502afs higher rate compared to their normal market price.

Last year, after the spread of Coronavirus, the government allocated special fund for every province to deal with the pandemic. Ghazni province was given 60 million afs.

According to previous Ghazni government officials, 20 million afs were spent to deal with the pandemic while the remaining 40 million afs was returned to government treasury.

From the given fund 4.5 million afs were spent on purchasing machinery and some equipment that were helpful in the treatment of coronavirus.

Pajhwok has received documents and information regarding the purchase of medical machinery and equipment and compared them with market prices.

Difference with market price

A committee tasked to purchase medical equipment and machinery for the Ghazni Coronavirus Treatment Centre had purchased 42 different items at the cost of 4,556,212 afs.

Pajhwok investigation showed almost all equipment had been purchased at two times higher rate than market price.

A total of 4,556,212 afs were released for the purchase of these items while according to market price these items are available at normal market price of 1,901,710 afs.

As a result a total of 2,654,502 afs had been embezzled by relevant authorities in coronavirus fund allocated for Ghazni province.

According to a Medical Equipment Company owner in Ghazni, who wished not to be named, said the rates of these item were more reasonable in the past compared to its current market rates.

“We give you present rates, in the past these items were inexpensive. Now the prices of everything have jumped due to regime and other changes in the country,” he said.

Corrupt people should be punished

The residents of Ghazni province said previous government officials committed corruption in the coronavirus fund at a time when the pandemic was claiming precious lives.

They said people hoped funds allocated for the Ghazni Coronavirus Centre would be spend transparently but then officials committed corruption in the fund.

Niamatullah, a resident of Ghazni City, said committing corruption in coronavirus fund meant playing with people’s lives.

He said now that a new government had taken over, it should make previous officials accountable who had committed corruption in coronavirus fund.

Another Ghazni City resident Noor-ul-Haq, said current government should investigate all incidents of corruption that happened in the previous regime.

“New government officials should take action against previous corrupt officials because majority of them were still working in government offices.”

Officials’ reaction

Ghazni Public Health Director Mawlavi Mohammad HanifMesbah said the government planned to hold previous officials accountable who were involved in corrupt practices and violated the rights of other people.

“I acknowledge there was corruption in the previous regime in health and several other departments. We have investigated all these corrupt incidents and would hold individuals involved in corruption accountable.”

He took a copy of Pajhwok investigative report regarding corruption that happened in the purchase of medical equipment for Ghazni Coronavirus Treatment Centre and said it will be shared with higher authorities.

He assured to investigate the matter and share information with the media when available.

It is worth mentioning that last month Pajhwok got some documents that showed massive corruption in the Ghazni Education Department where a computer worth 28,000 afs was bought for 40,000 afs.

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This report has been produced by Pajhwok and financially supported by UNDP and Denmark.