CORRECTION: March 12, 2013
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) -- In a story March 10 about Sierra Leone charging 29 people with fraud, The Associated Press erroneously identified the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's vaccine program. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, or GAVI, is a recipient of Gates Foundation money, but it also receives funds from other sources including the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Bank.
March 11, 2013FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) -- The head of Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission says that 29 government health officials will appear in court on corruption charges for having allegedly defrauded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's vaccine program.
Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara told The Associated Press that the government's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kisito Sheku Daoh, six other medical doctors and 22 health officials are charged with defrauding the Gates Foundation's Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Fund of $523,000. He said all those charged are out on bail and scheduled to appear in court on March 18.
The Gates Foundation's immunization fund has suspended payments of $6 million to Sierra Leone over the allegations of misuse of funds.
The immunization fund has disbursed more than $27 million to Sierra Leone since 2001.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
