South African Doctor Took Over $200,000 Meant to Promote Safer Childbirth

WASHINGTON – Eugene Sickle, the former deputy executive director of a South African research institute, was sentenced today to seven months of incarceration and ordered to pay $206,250 in restitution for a scheme in which he stole grant funds originating with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Bridgeport, Connecticut, man was arrested this morning on charges that he and others defrauded the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) of over $1 million and laundered most of the funds through various bank accounts in Liberia and the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

Washington, DC— Today, the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) was recognized in three categories at the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s (CIGIE) 20th Annual Awards Ceremony.

USAID OIG’s Afghanistan investigation team received the Award for Excellence, Investigations, in recognition of extreme bravery working in an area of active conflict. They are also recognized for their dedication to duty, which has helped ensure that U.S. investments in development abroad do not inadvertently increase risks of terrorism to Americans around the globe.

Investigation by USAID Inspector General Leads to Joint Law Enforcement Action

Washington, D.C.—Last week, authorities in Zambia arrested and held six individuals, including two pharmacy owners, involved in the illicit sale of HIV and malaria test kits in Lusaka, the country’s capital. The arrests took place using evidence gathered during a 5 month-long investigation by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG).

San Salvador, El Salvador —At a half-day anti-corruption workshop, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) called on implementers of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) El Salvador Investment Compact to help prevent fraud in U.S.-funded infrastructure projects. USAID OIG, an independent office that oversees U.S. foreign assistance programs, joined U.S. and Salvadoran Government officials, along with MCC compact implementers, to raise awareness about typical fraud schemes and how to report them.