How happened the “Vacunagate” which cost their work to two ministers in Peru

The secret inoculation against the coronavirus in a “VIP vaccination” set up at the Argentine Ministry of Health is the latest scandal of this type known in the world and this happens almost in parallel with another similar one: the Peruvian “Vacunagate”.

In the case of Argentina, a journalist, Horacio Verbitsky, a senator, a deputy, three doctors, a businessman and several members of his family were vaccinated. The episode became known because it was Verbitsky himself who told his radio show yesterday that he had been vaccinated. He admitted to calling Health Minister Ginés González García “his old friend” and that he went to a special room in the ministry building to receive his injection.

The public statement was quickly rejected by outraged citizens, opposition politicians and some members of the ruling party. In the afternoon, President Alberto Fernández has asked Ginés González García to resign, who has resigned, but the Argentine president has not yet spoken.

The two crises have things in common, but in Peru, the government has been careful to publicly denounce the identity of those involved. “I am scandalized, furious … I am totally disappointed,” said President Francisco Sagasti.

Pump Peruvian “VIP vaccine” It erupted nine days ago and at first it splashed only on ousted former president Martín Vizcarra, but later it was extended into the current transitional government. However, It was President Sagasti himself who – after offering a public apology – revealed that 487 had been vaccinated irregularly.

As detailed by the authorities, 122 public officials are on the list16 belonged to the current government who have already been separated from their functions. One of them is the Deputy Minister of Health, Luis Suárez Ognio, who has been vaccinated along with six members of his family. Also Chancellor Elizabeth Astete and Minister of Health Pilar Mazzetti. They both resigned.

“Most of the vaccinations took place in September and October,” in Vizcarra’s government, President Sagasti said.

The 487s received some of the 3,200 additional doses that Chinese pharmaceutical group Sinopharm given to personnel in charge of the vaccine trial with 12,000 Peruvian volunteers.

Eight officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who benefited from the “vaccine distribution”, as the local press has reported, were part of the team that negotiated the acquisition of doses with China. All were separated from their positions. The leader of the trial, Dr Germán Málaga, was also suspended from his duties by Cayetano Herrera University. In addition, the rector of this private university, Luis Varela, and vice-rectors José Espinoza and Alejandro Bussalleude, all three immune, have resigned.

Malaga did not provide a convincing explanation to Congress on the criteria it used to authorize the vaccination of the 487 people, including there are about ten businessmen and their relatives. The trial manager is in the public eye because in addition to dispensing the injections at his discretion, he administered three doses of the vaccine, instead of the two indicated in the protocol., which he also did with 30 other people.

Several vaccinees are listed as “guests” in the university registry and others as “consultants”.

Wife and brother

The scandal erupted in the middle of the second wave of the pandemic and the April 11 election campaign, complicating Vizcarra’s efforts to win a seat in Congress, but also in the Morado de Sagasti party. “It is clear that Martín Vizcarra has all the elements to lose memberships, but this undoubtedly affects the government” of Sagasti, assured political analyst Fernando Tuesta.

Vizcarra was vaccinated in October last year, while still president, but before the Chinese vaccine was given the green light., December 31st. He did it with his wife, Maribel Díaz, and his older brother, César Vizcarra. The former president claims he was one of 12,000 volunteers, but Cayetano Heredia University denied it.

In a country of 33 million inhabitants which has 44,308 deaths due to covid-19, with 1.25 million confirmed cases, former minister Mazzetti quickly went from heroin to villain … A week ago, the then minister told Congress that as a “ship’s captain” she would be the last health official to be vaccinated. But he was lying, he had been immunized on January 22.

“The principles of probity, truthfulness and transparency have been violated. These are very serious events, ”said Adriana Urrutia, director of the Civil Association for Transparency of Peru.

Nuncio Nicola Girasoli said he was vaccinated because he was “a consultant on ethical issues” at Cayetano Heredia University. Despite the explanation, the Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo, declared himself “indignant and saddened” and the Peruvian Episcopal Conference regretted “the misuse of vaccines”.

Chinese food by vaccine?

The vaccination as a “consultant” of the owner of the royal Chinese restaurant, César Loo, raised doubts but also seems to be a symbol of impunity. It is because Doctor Malaga declared that Loo had sold Chinese food to the delegation sent by Beijing to Lima to negotiate the sale of vaccines. “These people … have had enough of Burger King.” How can we not say it [a Loo] in vaccination, ”he said. Loo responded by saying that he was unfamiliar with Malaga and that he had not been vaccinated in exchange for food, but he did not explain how he got access to the vaccine.

Up to eight years in prison

While Congress created a commission to determine political responsibilities, the prosecution opened an investigation against the officials and all those “responsible” for the irregular vaccination. And last night, Peruvian police raided the offices of the Ministry of Health and two university clinics as part of investigations for the irregularly scheduled vaccination.

Criminalists and lawyers point out that the main parties involved can be sentenced to up to eight years in prison for offenses such as incompatible negotiation, concussion, bribery and complicity in bribery of officials.

“Without a doubt we are facing criminal acts“Said the Peruvian criminal lawyer Carlos rivera. “This case needs to go to court as the illegal act is absolutely obviousHe added, recalling that those involved admitted their participation, although they say they made “a mistake”, and that “the evidence of the events is devastating”.

In the case of Astete, Rivera said that she was not only an official, but that she was in charge of negotiations for the purchase of vaccines, so could be accused of incompatible negotiation or improper use of the position, which is punishable by up to eight years in prison in the country.

The lawyer noted that in addition to hiding his vaccination, the former minister violated the code of ethics of public management and violated the norm which states that health workers fighting the pandemic must be vaccinated first.

This same crime can affect other foreign officials who participated in the negotiation of vaccines, as well as officials from the Ministry of Health if they were involved or had decision-making power in the procurement.

Another group may be charged with the crime of concussion, which qualifies the act of a public official who requests a benefit, which may or may not be proprietary, and which is also punishable by eight years in prison. In addition, family members, friends and “guests” who have benefited from the vaccination poorly and have admitted to receiving the doses may also be included.

Among those involved in this crime may be former minister Mazzetti, although if it was confirmed that she was part of the negotiating team, she would be included in the first group “people in a more aggravated situationRivera said.

In the case of the former president Vizcarra, who admitted to having been vaccinated with his wife and older brother, although he claims to have done so as a volunteer for clinical trials, Rivera argued he could be included in the crime of concussion or charged with bribery.

Finally, for the expert, Malaga must be considered “like a private“, Since the vaccine trial was in charge of a private university, but it can be included”as an accompliceIn a charge of bribing officials, which provides the same penalties as other crimes. “Despite the leading role he played, in a case of corruption of officials, he will surely be considered a main accomplice, in the sense that his intervention was decisive in the commission of this criminal act”, a- he declared.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

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