Former Wits manager admits stealing grant funds

A FORMER senior manager from the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WRHI) has pleaded guilty on charges relating to the theft of more than $200 000 (R2.6-million) in grant funds originating with the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Eugene Sickle‚ 47‚ a chemist and the former deputy executive director of the WRHI‚ was asked to plead last week after being arrested earlier this year in the US.

In a statement released by the US Department of Justice‚ US Attorney Channing Phillips said: “Eugene Sickle abused his position to steal more than $200 000 meant to promote safer childbirth practices in South Africa.”

Wits University said yesterday that the university and the institute were able to detect the theft because it already had strong systems in place.

It moved to assure potential donors that the university would act strongly against future attempts of irregular use of donor funding.

Sickle is expected to be sentenced on August 1‚ with the plea agreement requiring him to repay $206 250 (R2.7-million) in restitution‚ in addition to a possible prison sentence of six to 12 months.

Sickle’s work at the WRHI was focused on sexual and reproductive health as well as vaccine-preventable diseases‚ with him being the administrator for project funds.

In an elaborate scheme‚ Sickle created a company called Alzar‚ in the British Virgin Islands‚ to create a mobile application which would help facilitate safer childbirth in South Africa.

As part of the scheme‚ Sickle created an alias called Dr Carla Das Neves who was Alzar’s director.

The childbirth application was never developed‚ and Sickle was found to have been the sole owner of the company.