Drama as Psmas bosses fight minister

Kuda Bwititi
Chief Reporter
Premier Service Medical Aid Society executives are using “mafia-like” tactics to block the implementation of a forensic audit report implicating them in abuse of millions of dollars, a Cabinet minister has said.
Psmas board chair Mr Jeremiah Bvirindi openly vowed to defy Public Service Minister Prisca Mupfumira who has been directed by Cabinet to restore normalcy at the institution.
The audit report, seen by The Sunday Mail, details how the executives, among them the then chief executive, Dr Cuthbert Dube, splurged US$22, 8 million on allowances outside the official payroll.
Between 2009 and 2013, they channelled part of US$86, 9 million to salaries and bonuses even as Psmas owed creditors US$119 million, resulting in its members failing to access healthcare.
Further, the report recommends robust anti-graft mechanisms and criminal proceedings against the culprits.
Minister Mupfumira told The Sunday Mail last week that most of the ousted executives still sit on the Psmas board and are blocking the report’s implementation.
“They are refusing to implement the audit report recommendations but we will get to the bottom of the matter without fear as Government has a fiduciary responsibility over the society.
“The recommendations are very clear – people committed crimes and appropriate action should be taken against them.”
The minister said together with her Health and Child Care counterpart, Dr David Parirenyatwa, they ordered the reinstatement of sacked Psmas general manager Mr Henry Mandishona in order to take all-round disciplinary action.
Mr Mandishona has, nonetheless, been kept away by the board.
“Mandishona’s issue is part of their (the board) mafia-like tactics. They want to hide the real issues. What we said was, ‘Yes, there were allegations against Mandishona, but, on the other hand, there are also allegations against several top executives.’
“Mandishona made counter-allegations of corruption.
‘‘We then decided that the decision that had been taken by the board to fire him was improper as this constituted selective application of disciplinary processes.”
She added, “You cannot solve a problem by firing one person. So, our reasoning was to bring him back and then look at all the allegations against all the people at Psmas.
“The starting point of these investigations was implementing the audit report. However, we are amazed that they are fiercely trying to block this. What we want is to give the report to an independent arbitrator who will look at the allegations and recommend appropriate action.”
She said Government will now take drastic action.
“I was directed by Cabinet to deal with this issue decisively. We have also been advised to seek guidance from the Attorney General’s Office , and we are considering a number of measures.
“Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000 empowers Government to call for an emergency general meeting to consider dissolving the society’s board.
‘‘It also empowers us to appoint an interim manager vested with all the powers of the board for a period not exceeding 12 months. This interim manager will be mandated to implement recommendations of the forensic audit report and institute disciplinary proceedings.”
Mr Bvindiri shot back.
“She cannot be giving timelines to us to implement anything because that is interference.
‘‘We are doing our work to address challenges at the society. So the minister should not interfere,” he told The Sunday Mail.
“We are not incompetent people, we know what we are doing. This is why we have said Mandishona is not coming back and we stand by that.”