SA doctor arrested in US for HIV/Aids fund fraud

A SOUTH AFRICAN doctor has been arrested in Washington for the alleged laundering of HIV/Aids programme funds.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced that its special agents apprehended Dr Eugene Sickle in Washington for offences committed in relation to USAID-supported HIV/Aids programmes in South Africa.

Sickle, who had served as deputy executive director for the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WRHI) programme, resigned from his position last year following the discovery of his potential involvement in the submission of fraudulent documents to WRHI by a third party.

USAID staff reported Sickle’s resignation and evidence of questionable costs charged to USAID awards to the USAID OIG. OIG opened an investigation, which remains ongoing.

USAID inspector-general Ann Calvaresi Barr said: “I commend the work of our special agents in making the arrest and thank our federal law enforcement partners for their assistance and support.

“Any fraud in US foreign assistance programmes is unacceptable, but fraud in global health programmes is all the more troubling.

“Programmes to help prevent and treat HIV/ Aids offer critical support to people around the world and OIG will continue to aggressively protect their integrity.”

In 2012, USAID awarded WRHI three co-operative agreements worth more than R1 billion to help strengthen treatment programmes for HIV/Aids patients and support the South African government to develop, implement and evaluate plans to treat at-risk populations.

USAID OIG is conducting the investigation and carried out the arrest jointly with US Immigration and Customs.