Two Sierra Leonean health workers on Friday sued their government in a West African court, alleging its misuse of donor funds during the Ebola crisis had contributed to the deaths of thousands. The Ebola virus surfaced in Guinea in late 2013 and spread to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone the following year, killing 11,300 people and infecting 28,000 victims overall until the disease was fully contained in 2016. They are also seeking damages of an unspecified amount for themselves and anyone left in a similar position. The International Red Cross said in October it had uncovered evidence of “likely collusion” between employees and a bank in Sierra Leone that led to a potential financial loss of $2.15 million (1.8 million euros) earmarked for Ebola relief. Two government officials in Guinea were convicted in July 2016 of stealing around $55,000 worth of funds destined for training programmes, but in general prosecutions for Ebola funds theft have been rare.

Source: GNN Liberia December 15, 2017 16:41 UTC