Zimbabwe’s health minister has been fired for inappropriate conduct after he was accused of illegally awarding a multi-million-dollar contract for COVID-19 medical supplies to a shadowy company that sold the government $28 face masks and other materials at inflated prices.
Moyo last month was charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer. Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption agency had arrested him following public uproar, and the government cancelled the contracts.
Moyo, a former hospital administrator, faces a fine or up to 15 years in prison if convicted. According to the charge sheet, he“exerted pressure” on his subordinates to award the contracts worth $60 million last year and this year.