Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) executive director Maurice Nyambe has welcomed President Edgar Lungu’s dismissal of Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya.
In a statement, Mr Nyambe hopes Dr Chilufya’s dismissal will help clean up the rot that appears to be deeply rooted at the ministry.
He stated that the firing of the minister should not be the only action taken in response to the alleged illegalities at the ministry.
Nyambe said there is need for the Law Enforcement Agencies to open investigations into Dr. Chilufya’s role in the Honeybee supply scandal involving $17 million.
He added that the former minister should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law if found culpable.
“Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) has taken note of President Edgar Lungu’s decision to dismiss Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya in the wake of the Honeybee Pharmacy scandal. We welcome this move as an important and necessary first step towards cleaning up the rot that appears to be deeply rooted at the Ministry of Health,” Mr Nyambe said.
“Our hope is that as important and necessary a step as this is, it will not be the only action we see in response to this scandal. We expect that law enforcement agencies will open investigations into Dr. Chilufya’s role in the Honeybee scandal and should he be found culpable, he be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We do not believe that dismissing Dr. Chilufya should be the end game over this as there are several layers to this scandal. We therefore reiterate our call for a full investigation to be carried out into all the layers of the Honeybee scandal in order to get to the bottom of the issue and to hold everyone that was involved accountable for their actions.”
The Ministry of Health has been at the center of a financial scandal involving the supply of $17million worth of Health kits first unearthed by News Diggers and later the Auditor General’s Report.
The ministry is also alleged to have authorized the supply of leaking condoms, gloves and expired medicine by Honeybee Pharmacy, a sole trader located in Kamwala.