REGIONAL Health Officer (RHO) of Region Six, Jevaughn Stephens, has refuted a Kaieteur News report which claimed that he was involved in a $8.3M.contract-slitting scam.

The article published on June 21 under the caption, “Region 6 REO buckles under evidence of contract splitting… Regional Health Officer to be investigated,” claimed Stephens was involved in the multi-million dollar impropriety in the purchasing of surgical gloves.

“At no point did we purchase that amount in gloves mentioned in the article,” the Region Six RHO stated.

He added: “The total for the gloves was $5.8 million and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the request in its entirety. However, when the invoices came, they came separately as the contractor supplied the items.”

In his defence, the RHO noted that $8.3M was the total voucher, but $2.5M of that sum was used for the purchase of gauze rolls.

He also verified that the total cost for the gloves was $5.8M, noting that one request was prepared through his office and sent to the NPTAB.

Stephens said the items which consisted of examination and surgical gloves were procured through the International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA) and were approved on tender number 4/2016.