Police and anti-graft team to probe NHIF
Photo/FILE
A Clinix healthcare facility in Embu. A House committee held the view that the amount allocated to Clinix — Sh109.7 million — was paid out to non-existent facilities as they were not operational at the time of roll-out.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered a joint investigation into alleged irregularities in the civil servants’ medical scheme.
Mr Keriako Tobiko has directed the police and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to conduct joint investigations into the scandal.
“This is to instruct you to cause a thorough, comprehensive and speedy investigation and upon conclusion forward the relevant investigation file(s) to this office for perusal and appropriate directions,” Mr Tobiko directed in a letter to Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere and acting EACC chief executive Jane Muthaura on Tuesday.
The move follows last month’s directive by President Kibaki that speedy investigations be conducted into the scandal and action taken against those found culpable.
The DPP’s move came as Director of Medical Services Francis Kimani refuted findings by the parliamentary committee on health that millions of shillings were paid out to non-existent clinics run by two health providers. (READ: NHIF was warned of ‘ghost’ clinics)
He demanded that the committee expunges from its report paragraphs claiming that some of the health facilities operated by Clinix Healthcare Ltd and Meridian Medical Centre Ltd were non-existent.
“There was evidence of copies of licences and photographs submitted by Clinix management of their facilities duly registered, licensed and operational,” he stated.
In his letter, Mr Tobiko ordered the two agencies to conduct a joint investigation to avoid duplication of roles.
“In order to avoid duplication of roles and ensure maximum efficiency, I would advise that you constitute a joint investigation team to undertake the ordered investigation,” the DPP directed.
The team will be coordinated and supervised by officers from the DPP’s office, Nation learnt.
The directive came on the day the parliamentary committee on health tabled its report into the National Hospital Insurance Fund scandal recommending that the roles of Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o and his Public Service counterpart Dalmas Otieno in the medical scheme be investigated. (READ: Nyong’o, Otieno face NHIF probe)
The MPs also called for the investigation of Medical Services PS Mary Ngari, Dr Kimani, Registrar-General Bernice Gachegu, former NHIF chief executive Richard Kerich and all members of the former NHIF board.
The team expressed concern over Prof Nyong’o’s involvement with Mr Jayesh Saini, the owner of Clinix Healthcare, one of the clinics at the centre of the scandal.
It said that Mr Saini could not explain why he registered Pharma Holdings, the parent company of Clinix, in an offshore island country while it trades in Kenya.
It also recommended that the CEO of Clinix, Zac Toddy Madahana, be investigated for “presenting false evidence”. The committee, however, recommended that the medical insurance scheme is not discontinued.
The MPs also investigated whether Clinix and Meridian were irregularly paid millions of shillings. NHIF paid Sh634.7 million to public and private health service providers, who were identified to offer services in the first phase of the scheme.
Of the amount, only Sh120.7 million was paid to public facilities, Sh68.9 million was paid out to mission facilities while the remaining Sh447.2 million was paid out to private health providers.
The committee held the view that the amount allocated to Clinix — Sh109.7 million — was paid out to non-existent facilities as they were not operational at the time of roll-out.
The report was tabled in Parliament by the committee’s chairman, Dr Robert Monda, amid protests from one of its members, Nyando MP Fred Outa, that some of the recommendations had been doctored.
