Former Wits Doctor Arrested in US for Laundering HIV Funds

WASHINGTON – A former Wits Executive Director, Dr Eugene Sickle, has been arrested in the United States for money laundering committed in relation to HIV/AIDS programs being supported in South Africa by USAID (US Agency for International Development).

USAID announced the arrest of the top South African doctor this week. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Dr Sickle was Deputy Executive Director for the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WRHI) program until his resignation last year… which had followed revelations of his potential involvement in the submission of fraudulent documents to WRHI by a third party. 

According to a press release from USAID/OIG (Office of Inspector General), USAID staff had reported his resignation, along with evidence of suspicious costs charged to USAID.

OIG opened an investigation which remains ongoing.

USAID Inspector General Ann Calvaresi Barr thanked the Special Agents for their work, and added: “Any fraud in U.S. foreign assistance programs is unacceptable, but fraud in global health programs is all the more troubling.

“Programs to help prevent and treat HIV/AIDS offer critical support to people around the world and OIG will continue to aggressively protect their integrity.”

USAID said that in 2012 it had “awarded WRHI three cooperative agreements worth nearly $77 million to help strengthen treatment programs for HIV/AIDS patients and support the South African Government to develop, implement, and evaluate plans to treat at-risk populations.”