USAID Inspector General debars groups for siphoning aid and sexual exploitation

USAID’s Office of Inspector General issued debarments against two separate operations that misappropriated U.S. foreign assistance. In Colombia, the nonprofit FUVADIS, founded by Luis Meneses, was found to have sold free HIV medication for personal gain and to have traded sexual favors for aid benefits, leading to a five-year ban for Meneses, his brother Leonardo, and the organization itself. In Kenya, the OIG uncovered that Davendra Rampersaud used his company, Caribbean Medical Supplies, Inc., to market stolen medical items from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, including HIV test kits, to the Guyanese government, resulting in a three-year debarment.

The findings prompted at least six partner groups to cut ties with FUVADIS and sparked broader investigations that shut down additional Kenyan pharmacies involved in similar illegal activities. The actions underscore ongoing challenges in monitoring U.S. aid programs abroad.