KENYAN IN THE KSH 99.5 BILLION USAID THEFT CASE CHARGED IN THE U.S

A Kenyan national has been charged in a U.S. federal court for allegedly diverting USAID-funded medical supplies worth approximately Ksh99.5 billion ($650 million) from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
Eric, 40, and his co-accused, a 42-year-old Guyanese national, Rampersaud, allegedly conspired to illegally profit from HIV test kits and other medical commodities intended for Kenyan patients.
“A long-term investigation concluded today with the unsealing of an indictment in the District of South Carolina charging two foreign nationals with conspiring against the United States to illegally divert U.S.-funded global health commodities from a Kenyan government-run corporation, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA),” read part of a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The investigation, led by the Office of the Inspector General for USAID, revealed that Eric and his company systematically stole medical commodities between 2014 and 2019.
Rampersaud and his company purchased the stolen goods, obtained fraudulent authorisation to operate as a distributor, and resold the items to secure lucrative government contracts.
“These defendants jeopardised a vital public health mission and caused a significant loss to the American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina.
“This was an incredibly complicated investigation, spanning years and an ocean,” he added.
Between 2015 and 2019, Rampersaud paid Eric over Ksh27Million (over $177,000) for the diverted medical supplies, including USAID-funded HIV test kits. He then sold the stolen commodities to the Guyanese government, profiting further.