The three musketeers

THREE pharmacists are under investigation after a shipping container packed with medicines from a Chinese company was impounded at Walvis Bay.

At issue are alleged tender irregularities, nepotism and non-compliance with licensing requirements.

An investigation by the finance ministry pointed the finger at Fabiola Vahekeni, the ministry of health’s senior pharmacist responsible for procurement at the Central Medical Stores; and pharmacists-cum-businesswomen Naambo Taimi Amakutuwa and Meameno Tulimevava Nghikembua.

The trio claim they are being unfairly targeted.

The investigators have referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and recommended a lifestyle audit of the three women.

Vahekeni was allegedly involved in an emergency tender process leading to the arrival of the medicine on Namibian shores.

She is accused of helping Amakutuwa and Nghikembua, former business partners, to fend off stiff competition from 10 other bidders to land the N$7 million contract.

The three women reportedly studied together at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and were originally joint shareholders in a venture called Westlane Pharmacy in 2014.

Amakutuwa and Nghikembua now jointly own NM Medicals, a close corporation that secured the contract to deliver a consignment of Co-trimoxazole tablets to Namibia in March last year.

Co-trimoxazole is commonly used to treat bacterial infections, mostly in people living with HIV.

Finance minister Calle Schlettwein ordered an investigation into the consignment on 20 March this year. Sources said the minister wanted to know why the government was buying medicine that did not comply with Namibian laws and good international practice.

The investigation established that normal tender processes were overridden because of what the health ministry described as an emergency.

“The container is of no use to us,” Schlettwein told The Namibian last week. He declined to provide further details, saying all would be revealed once the investigation was completed.

Briefing documents prepared by the investigation team from the procurement policy unit, which The Namibian has seen, said NM Medicals was awarded the tender because it originally listed South African-registered Pharmacare, Africa’s largest medicine company, as its supplier. Pharmacare’s products are certified for use in Namibia and internationally.

After receiving a government purchase order, NM Medicals later notified the Central Medical Stores (CMS) that Pharmacare was unable to deliver the required quantities, and asked for permission to source the drugs elsewhere.

The company then ordered the medicine from Chinese manufacturer Reyoung Pharmaceuticals.

“CMS allowed this variation without verifying whether the new Chinese manufacturer and the medicine coming from this new manufacturer complied with the tender specifications,” the documents charge.

They say that in the event of an amendment or variation to a tender, the procurement committee must review and recommend the changes to the accounting officer, in this case, the executive director.

“This was not done. The responsible person for this transaction was Ms Fabiola Vahekeni, senior pharmacist (procurement) stationed at the Central Medical Stores, who authorised amendments to the contract without the review of the procurement committee, and/or the accounting officer’s approval,” the documents charge.

Vahekeni insists everything was done above board, and that she does not award tenders.

She said the review did not take place because NM Medicals could only qualify for a tender variation after receiving approval from the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council (NMRC) to use a new supplier.

Because clearance was never given to CMS, no variation was granted to the company, she added.

Vahekeni produced a copy of email communication between herself and a colleague, Magrita Abiatal, who notified NM Medicals that the order had been cancelled because of non-delivery.

The email was dated 30 November 2018 – two months after the consignment was impounded.

The investigators say she “was responsible for the preparation of the bidding document, invitation of bids and the opening of bids. She also participated in its evaluation, which is not allowed.”

The investigation team flagged a possible conflict of interest. They feel she could have used her office to gain from the procurement indirectly.

Vahekeni insisted there was nothing untoward about her role: “I do not award tenders. At Central Medical Stores, we only recommend to the ministerial committee.”

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