CPL boss denies claims

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By REBECCA KUKU
CITY Pharmacy Ltd (CPL) denied that it had asked the National Department of Health (NDoH) to remove the ISO 9001 certification as a requirement for the procurement and supply of medicines and pharmaceutical drugs in 2014.
CPL managing director Mahesh Patel yesterday told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that “we had only asked for a clarification as the ISO 9001 was not a requirement in the past”.
“We did not ask for the ISO 9001 to be removed,” he said in response to a query by PAC chairman Sir John Pundari.
The PAC held its fourth session of an inquiry into the procurement and supply of medicine and medical kits worth more than K100 million to Borneo Pacific Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPPL) this year.
Sir John told Patel that Health Secretary Pascoe Kase had told the inquiry earlier that the ISO 9001 was removed as a requirement at the request of CPL.
Denying Kase’s claims, Patel said: “At that time, we bid in partnership with the MissionPharma Ltd who had the ISO 9001 certification.
“CPL has operated here for more than 32 years and employs about 3,000 Papua New Guineans.
“We also have warehouses nationwide and our presence are in all major centres, including a few towns like Lihir and Maprik.
“We have warehouses in Australia as well, and although we are a pharmaceutical company, we also have hardware houses, retail shops and duty-free shops.
“We also bid successfully to procure and supply medicines and pharmaceutical drugs for the Fiji government.”
However, Patel said CPL had stopped such bids after failing to win the K48 million contract despite partnering with MissionPharma, a reputable international company owned by Toyota that had all the necessary certifications.
“Our bid was lower than BPPL’s K71 million bid. We don’t know why (we lost the bid), we were confused too,” he added.
Patel said CPL then refrained from making such bids and that many reputable companies had also given up on such procurement and supply contracts.

13 comments

  • Did the health secretary produce documents to strengthen his story?
    Otherwise mud is sticking on him if Patel produces documents.

  • Kase has lots of questions from PAC to answer. CPL MD has exposed may irregularities here. PAC, bring back Kase and ask him again. He knows more.

  • If Papua New Guinean who are in authority want to get rich quickly at the expense of nation’s 90% of the population who are illiterate, acutely poor, then be it so. It’s easy to strike rich, taking advantage of poor governance systems. It’s no rocket science to smell corruption from the PAC inquiry and body language of those contractors. I say: “Keep stealing from the poor and enjoy your short stay on planet earth!”

  • If Papua New Guinean feed from people’s money or had Financial gain at the expense of the unfortunate citizen of Papua new Guineans. I believe nature will balance itself and the penalty is server it’s a death penalty let’s say because PM JM cursed public servant

  • If a cheaper bid of K48 million is overlooked for a K71 million kina from BPPL then one can easily smell corruption right there. The health department including the former health minister under the O’Neill led government must come out clear and explain this hiccup.

  • Borneo is Malaysia and starting from the logging industry the Malaysians have been unashamedly bribing PNG public servants for decades now. Malaysian companies should be banned from PNG, they feed corruption just like the Chinese companies. And let’s hope the PAC gets to the bottom of this corrupt medical supply deal and NAME NAMES of the public servants who have condemned thousands of sick Papua New Guineans to death. SHAME on you.

  • CPL was born in PNG and is a PNG company. Bring in the DoH Secretary with the puppet Pio & his alien bosses to face the PAC so that we can find how BPPL won the contract with K71m & CPLPNG failed with K48m what a big joke. Please PAC members uncover the rot and jail these aliens & their puppets.

  • Mr Mahesh Patel started CPL over 32 ago because I know because I was one of the pioneers who worked with him. For the DoH to overlook CPL’s bid to a company who has been in the country for only 3 years to win the bid is very very fishy.

  • I have always maintained from the start when the inquiry started that there is something fishy with the story that the NDoH Secretary made to the PAC. Bring him back and grill him. He knows a lot more then his initial lies.

  • DoH Secretory, please tell the nation the truth, the TRUTH it self will set you free, no man is righteous before our creator, if we continue to falsify, truth is watching where we are moving, 2019 is a different timing, righteousness
    is prevailing, can not escape no matter what…………

  • Bring Kase back and question him again. He needs to clearly this questions and provide evidence. This crock of a secretary needs to get his bottom fried more by the PAC.

  • It should have been evident for all to see that this joker of a health secretary is a wolf in disguise, involved in shady back door deals. The on going chronic shortage of medicines and medical supplies is a clear and visible sign that corruption of the worst kind has been at play within the highest echelons of the NDoH since the joker took office.
    He needs to be investigated, charged and locked away for swindling the nation and the people of PNG of not just money, but the well being and lives of all that have passed away due to lack of medicines.

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