The Auditor-General has confirmed that the SA National Defence Force has been invoiced to the tune of R260m for Heberon Interferon-Alpha-2B, an unregistered medical drug from Cuba, touted as a "wonder" cure for COVID-19.
Tsakani Maluleke said her office picked up that R34.68m of the amount had already been paid, reports TimesLIVE. report. Maluleke, who announced the results of the second audit into Covid-19 funds yesterday, said they would follow up on the matter when her office completes its year-end audit.
She said the Department of Defence was conducting an investigation on the affect of the transaction and whether there are irregularities associated with it. In a prepared presentation shared with the media, the AG states that there were shortcomings in planning, procurement, transportation, warehousing and recording of medicines in the department, in particular the procurement and import of an unregistered medical drug from Cuba.
The AG also found inadequate planning for procurement of medical equipment and personal protective equipment. ‘Manual processes used to manage the receipt, accounting and distribution of PPE exposed the department to losses,’ read the presentation.
The report notes that it emerged last month that the SANDF imported the dubious and unregistered drug despite a warning against its use by a top government advisory committee.
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2020-12-09-ag-confirms-sandf-was-invoiced-r260m-for-unregistered-cuban-drug/"]Full TimesLIVE report[/link]
See also from MedicalBrief Archives:
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/cuban-anti-covid-drug-cost-r200m-and-used-on-only-1-patient//"]Cuban anti-COVID drug cost R200m and was used on only one patient[/link]
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/sandf-spends-r200m-on-unapproved-cuban-covid-drug/"]SANDF spend R200m on unapproved Cuban COVID drug[/link]