Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Former Deputy Secretary of Public Health Dr Josefa Koroivueta testified that concerns were raised of unethical bias regarding medical equipment procurements in 2011.
He stated this when he took the stand as the sixth state witness in the health tender case involving former Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma, former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
He told the court that former Health Minister Dr Sharma in an email had stated that there was a monopoly with lab equipment procurement in Fiji which was costing the ministry a lot of money.
Dr Koroivueta stated that he drafted the contents of a letter which he sent through email to the then Health Permanent Secretary Dr Salanieta Suketa for the purchase of laboratory equipment – at the advice of Dr Sharma.
He also stated that he got to know that the tender for CTN66/2011 was approved at a later executive meeting.
When questioned by defence lawyer Wylie Clarke, Dr Koroivueta told the court that there was strong support from the former Health Minister to upgrade rural laboratory services.
Dr Koroivueta also confirmed that there was an urgent need to upgrade equipment as some in sub divisional hospitals were in poor condition.
The former Public Health Deputy Secretary also said there was dissatisfaction expressed by the former Health Minister with the monopoly held by Roche diagnostics.
He also confirmed the Dr Sharma’s intentions of upgrading the lab equipment were honourable.
The trial continues in the Suva High Court before Justice Usaia Ratuvuli.
