The laboratory was suspended from operating for an
indefinite period to allow the Ministry of Health and Childcare and the Medical
Laboratory and Clinical Scientists Council of Zimbabwe (MLCSCZ) to complete
investigations into the lab’s operations.
The Sunday Mail understands that, in addition to the fake
certificates scam, authorities are keen to probe allegations that Klosad was
operating without proper registration and qualified staff while its Covid-19
certificates were being authorised by fictitious staff members.
MLCSCZ registrar Ms Agnes Chigora confirmed that the lab
had been shut down for “further investigations”. Council has recommended
suspension of services until finalisation of the ongoing investigations,” she
said.
An official privy to the developments revealed that
authorities were conducting additional investigations into the rot at Klosad.
“For example, this Nyakuedzwa who was approving the
certificates is not even among the employees and is stationed at Chitungwiza
General Hospital,” said the source.
“His name was only there on the paper but other people were
doing the signing for him. The staff on the ground was not adequately trained
and they were working without proper supervision.
“The Anesu Nyamugama who was arrested is not even
registered as an employee of the lab and some of the names of the people who
are said to have signed those papers were not on duty.
“So there are suggestions that the level of corruption at
Klosad was high and it could have involved quite a number of people.”
Nyamugama was arrested last week facing fraud charges.
Allegations are that from January 8 to 12, Nyamugama issued
two fake negative Covid-19 certificates to The Sunday Mail reporters Harmony
Agere and Emmanuel Kafe, thus misrepresenting that they had gone through
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
He was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare
magistrate Isheanesu Matova who granted him $7 000 bail and ordered him to
return to court on February 24. In a statement last week, Klosad said it had dismissed Nyamugama and reported him
to the police.
“Klosad Lab is committed to ethical conduct at all times as
we are part of the fight against the spread of Covid-19 in our country and support
the efforts made by the Government of Zimbabwe.
“We would like to advise the public and all our valued
customers that Klosad Clinical Diagnostics Lab is committed to producing
accurate, authentic and certified certificates for the benefit of all Zimbabweans.
We are currently working with an IT company on a computerised system that will
put an end to all such cases of fake Covid-19 certificates.”
In another development, Klosad is being accused of entering
into a suspicious alliance with commercial airliner, fastjet Zimbabwe.
Under the pact, fastjet is reportedly accepting Covid-19
certificates issued by Klosad only, while rejecting results from other
registered laboratories. A whistle-blower told The Sunday Mail that his family
failed to travel to South Africa at the beginning of the month after fastjet
rejected test results which were not done at Klosad.
“My brother’s wife and his kid wanted to fly back to SA
using fastjet today but the Covid-19 results they were holding were rejected by
the ticketing agent,” said the whistle-blower.
“The agent said they needed results from Klosad only. I
later did investigations and was told that there is a contract between Klosad
and fastjet to force everyone who boards the plane to produce a copy from the
labs.
“I had time to check what’s going on because the health
point at Robert Mugabe International Airport had certified the results as
valid, only to be turned away by a ticket agent.”
Contacted for comment, fastjet accountable manager Mr Ed
Berry denied the allegations.
“fastjet does not have an exclusive deal with Klosad, we
employ a rigorous staff Covid-19 testing regime for this, we do not use Klosad,
we use another supplier,” he said.
“Klosad has a testing centre on the same premises as the
fastjet sales shop in Belgravia. “They offer passengers of fastjet or TAAG
Angolan Airlines, who also have their sales shop on the same premises a special
rate.
“The airline has nothing to do with setting up this
relationship. It was purely between the owner of the premises and Klosad.”
Former Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo, who
is the owner of Klosad, did not respond to a request for an interview. Sunday
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