UNTIL now foreign investor, AIPF SI Ltd’s business dealings, described by some as “dubious and fraudulent” were confined to individuals and corporate entities.
The company, jointly run by a Rwandan national, Deogratias Harorimana and his Solomon Islands’ partner, Salome Kwaiga, has allegedly fleeced millions of dollars in brokerage fees from unsuspecting Solomon Islands’ indigenous clients.
According to details which have been extensively published on social media, nearly all of their clients are struggling to repay hefty loans the couple has negotiated with Bank South Pacific (BSP) in their brokering business.
AIPF SI Ltd reportedly charges up to 10 per cent of the value of each loan, which ranged from $2 million to $26 million.
BSP which has been accused of colluding with AIPF SI Ltd in knowingly granting loan approvals in spite of the ability of clients to repay has remained tight-lipped on its alleged involvement with AIPF SI Ltd.
It has now emerged that the Government too is in AIPF SI Ltd’s appetite to become a millionaire overnight.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services now appears to be the first official victim of AIPF SI Ltd, although the extent of the company’s involvement is unknown in terms of fees that the Ministry might have already paid to the company.
The Ministry is now being left in the cold to find some $11 million in extra funding this year in order to complete a building to house the National Referral Hospital’s (NRH) CT scan, according to information obtained by Solomon Star.
AIPF SI Ltd’s involvement with the Ministry stemmed from a Cabinet decision on 24 June 2019.
Announcing the decision, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretariat said in a statement:
“The Solomon Islands Government through a Cabinet decision has approved a sum of SBD$17.8 million to design and build the complex to house the Computer Tomography (CT) scan machine.
“This is part of the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA)’s 100 Days policy priorities. The money will also be used for the management of the CT scan project, and to provide and supply and fit-out minor equipment and accessories needed for the project.
“Following this decision by the Cabinet, important steps will be taken by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services such as advertisements of tender notices for building contractors,” the statement said.
“The selected contractors will be working together with The Solomon Foundation in Sydney (and) with Siemans Healthineers who is the supplier of the equipment to determine the requirements needed for the building.
“MHMS is anticipating that the CT scan machine is tentatively scheduled to be in operation before the end of 2020.
“The Democratic Coalition for Change Government (DCGA) is committed to the delivery of ongoing and prospective policy priorities in the interests of peace, national stability and economic advancement,” the statement said.
The announcement was part of the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA)’s 100 Days policy priorities. In 2020, Hatanga Construction Company was awarded the tender.
AIPF (SI) Ltd which has no experiences in managing construction project was selected as the Project Management firm for the CT Scan complex.
Under the original agreement, AIPF (SI) Ltd was expected to complete and deliver the project by late February 2021, and the complex should be open by March 2021.
But the failure by AIPF (SI) Ltd to complete the project as scheduled has left the Ministry of Health and Medical Services with a $11 million hole in its budget this year.
Unless the extra funds are secured, the completion of the project remains uncertain.
After a year-long wait, the Parliamentary Health and Medical Services Committee (HMSC) met on 25th February this year to get an update on the status of the two lifesaving equipment – Mammography and Computer Tomography [CT] scan.
The hearing was chaired by politician Charles Sigoto.
“The Committee was informed that the mammography has not be functioning sometimes in 2018 and plans to set up a CT scan machine 9 years ago has not (taken) off as planned.
Simultaneously, the Ministry is also working hard to complete the CT Scan project as there are two components to it that (are) yet to be completed:
• Construction of a building to house the CT scan which is only 70-80% complete; and
• Procurement of associated equipment.
Ministry officials told the Committee the CT scan has been procured and is now in country but the Ministry will have to bid for another $11million this year to purchase associated equipment such as a scan machine, computers, and monitoring equipment that will enable its use.
Mammography is specialized medical imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system to see inside the breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, aids in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases such as cancer in women.
Computer Tomography [CT] scan is a medical imaging technique that uses computer-processed combinations of multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles to produce tomographic (cross-sectional) images (virtual “slices”) of a body, allowing the user to see inside the body without cutting. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or radiologic technologists.
Ministry representatives who appeared before the Committee said the Ministry is “working very hard” to link up with an engineer from Australia through virtual mode to fix the Mammogram as it needs a specialized engineer for proper installation.
The Committee was assured that “if everything goes to plan, this project should be completed, up and running by the end of this year.”
But the Ministry also pointed out that given the reduction of the Ministry’s budget for 2021 it is unsure about the completion of this important project, according to a report of the Committee’s hearing.
The mammogram machine was the only one at the NRH. It was donated by the First Lady’s charity group in 2014. Between 2014 and 2018 a total of 1,000 women did tests for breast cancer using that machine.
Data from those tests showed that almost 30 per cent of young women between the age of 30 and 40 tested positive for breast cancer and some are lucky to get treated.
Breast cancer is the second killer for women in the country, according to Radiologist, Dr Aaron Oritaimae.
By Alfred Sasako
Newsroom, Honiara
