As EFSTH has limited funds and frequently struggles to purchase consumables, medications, and care for hospitalised patients, Dr. Adama Sallah added that per diem of D779, 839. 80 are excessively exorbitant in the context of EFSTH to be paid to Dr. Abubacarr Jagne.
None of Dr. Abubacarr Jagne’s travels were authorised by the board of EFSTH, as well as all the equipment he claimed to have bought for EFSTH. He used to travel to Ghana claiming to buy for hospital equipment and drugs, only to discover later that all these claims were not realistically correct. Mrs. Monday, a revenue controller at the EFSTH accounts office has on numerous occasions queried about these travels and the high costs associated with these expensive equipment and materials Dr. Abubacarr Jagne claimed to have bought overseas, which were approved by the Chief Medical Director Dr. Ammar Al Jafari without authorization of the board.
Typically, prior to purchasing any apparatus for the hospital, three invoices must be presented to the contact office, which exercises ultimate authority over the selection and location of the purchases. That is the responsibility of the procurement officer, not Mr. Abubacarr Jagne, the Deputy Chief Medical Director.
Before purchasing specific equipment during one of Mr. Jagne’s trips to Ghana, which was also not authorised by the board, he requested that funds be deposited into his personal bank account. Subsequent investigation revealed that this was his personal bank account and not the account of the company from which he was authorised to purchase the equipment. This constituted a heinous breach. The bank account originated from a Ghanaian bank and belonged to Mr. Abubacarr Jagne, who previously resided and attended school in Ghana.
On a separate occasion, additional funds were deposited into his Ghanaian bank account. This time around, he stated that he intended to purchase hospital theatre beds and lamps Dr. Adama Sallah added.
Without a doubt, the auditors will eventually uncover each of these. When Freedom Newspaper inquired about the customary regulations, Dr. Adama Sallah replied that, in accordance with standard operating procedure, in the event that the hospital requires the purchase of any equipment, CMD Ammar Al Jafari or his deputy, Mr. Abucarr Jagne, should delegate the responsibility to the procurement officers. Then, these officers would be tasked with determining which company to purchase these materials from through three distinct sources. The contact committee is then tasked with determining which company to purchase these materials from. After receiving approval from the contact committee, the procurement officers would initiate the purchasing process, said Dr. Adama Sallah. Regrettably, receipts were not being submitted as proof that the materials in question were acquired subsequent to any transaction. Both CMD AL Jafari and Mr. Abubacarr Jagne consistently disregard these rules and regulations.
Dr. Adama Sallah stated that Dr. Al Jafari and Dr. Abubacarr Jagne have been spending enormous sums of money, such as employing a technician from Morocco, without prior board sanction and authorization. Freedom Newspaper inquired whether CMD Ammar Al Jafari or Dr. Abubacarr Jagne operated independently or in concert. In that case, I believe this to be a syndicate, Dr. Sallah replied. He further stated that this group comprises CMD Ammar Al Jafari, Deputy CMD Abubacarr Jagne, Director of Finance Lamin Ceesay, Operations Officer Adama Mbye, Senior Procurement Officer Nyima Jatta (an unauthorised position by the board), and Baboucar, an additional individual. Dr. Adama Sallah stated that this syndicate is operating as a unit at the EFSTH and is involved in various forms of corrupt practices without the board members’ or chairman’s knowledge.