Police investigate Otjozondjupa health fraud

The Otjozondjupa police’s serious crime unit on Wednesday started investigating alleged fraud at the Otjozondjupa Regional Health Directorate. Police Commissioner Joseph Anghuwo said a case of fraud was opened at the Otjiwarongo police station on Tuesday by the office of the Otjozondjupa regional health director. “We started with the investigation today so that we can first establish the number of people involved, and secondly to know the exact steps to take against the suspects,” said Anghuwo. He said the investigation will also reveal the method that the suspects had used to defraud the Otjozondjupa Regional Health Directorate of more than N$8.2 million. According to a source at the health directorate who spoke on condition of anonymity, about five suspects have been linked to the case. It is alleged that some long-serving staff members of the directorate, including two accountants, had established a syndicate where false travel claims were processed and money paid to their accomplices. Senior officials at the Otjiwarongo State Hospital are said to be involved, and they are said to have each received N$50 000 for trips they never made. Otjozondjupa Regional Health Director Maria Kavezembi on Wednesday said the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Andrew Ndishishi, had instructed her last Friday to open a case of fraud with the police. She referred all other questions to the police. The syndicate is suspected to have operated between June 2006 and January 2013. Internal audit findings at the Otjozondjupa regional health office at Otjiwarongo in November 2013 led to charges being laid against the accountants, who are aged 40 and 53. According to the source, they were relocated from their offices at the Otjozondjupa Health regional office to the Otjiwarongo District Hospital in February, where they are temporarily operating from. The relocation was meant to allow investigations into the fraud suspicions, which were carried out from November 2013 to January this year. OTJIWARONGO NAMPA