ACC Summons Former Health Ministry PS

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has summoned former Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Administration Kakulubelwa Mulalelo to appear for questioning today in relation to her involvement in the HoneyBee Pharmacy procurement scandal.

The ACC has said Ms Mulalelo’s appearance is part of a series of interviews the permanent secretary will take part in as a suspect in the scandal.

In January, the Public Accounts Committee found that the Ministry of Health had been distributing defective medical equipment supplied by HoneyBee pharmacies, including mouldy paracetamol tablets and leaky condoms.

It came after HoneyBee was awarded a government contract worth $17 million in June 2020, despite not even being a registered company at the time. The Public Accounts Committee found that the Ministry of Health had ignored government guidelines in procuring the medical supplies, leading to the dismissal of former health minister Chitalu Chilufya. 

Ms Mulalelo was also relieved of her duties at the ministry in January following a civil service shakeup by President Lungu. 

In other news, a source at the Ministry of Finance has told reporters that another Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Kennedy Malama, lied under oath during a presentation to the Parliamentary Accounts Committee. 

Mr Malama claimed that the Ministry of Health had transferred K51 million for emergency Covid-19 response measures “without treasury authority”.

The source at the Ministry of Finance says the treasury did in fact sign off on this payment and the Malama is lying to throw fellow PS Mulalelo under the bus, in the interest of “self-preservation”.