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US to honour HIV/AIDS fraudster

    JOHANNESBURG

    Zimbabwean AIDS activists have criticised the selection process of a prestigious US award, local newspaper The Herald reported on Thursday.

    The reaction follows reports that Jonathan Mann's US $20,000 Health and Human Rights Award would be presented to former AIDS activist Frenk Guni.

    The Zimbabwe Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (ZNNP+) said while it was good to honour hard working activists, the careful selection of recipients was equally important.

    Guni fled Zimbabwe for the US in 2001 after being accused of misappropriating some US $119,000 in donor funds meant for ZNNP+, where he was the executive director.

    "I have questions about people such as Guni, who we all know left the country because he was being investigated by the police for misappropriating funds. Now they shower him with that award. Where is the justice in that?" ZNNP+ national chairwoman, Tendai Chimusoro, said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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