Drug theft: 3 Bolgatanga Hospital staff remanded

Three staff of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital have been remanded by the Circuit Court for allegedly stealing medicines belonging to the health facility.

The accused persons are Fasilat Raheem, 48, a storekeeper, Bridget Banoeyelle, 33, an assistant dispensary officer, and Raymond Asoke, 36, a driver.

Appearing before the court last Monday the accused persons were charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit crime, to wit , stealing, abetment of crime, to wit, stealing and stealing.

They all pleaded not guilty to the offences and were duly remanded in police custody by the court, presided over by Sumaila Mbache Ahamadu.

They will reappear in court on August 22, 2023 for hearing of the case to continue.

Facts

Presenting the facts of the case in court, the Prosecutor, Inspector Prosper Adabeen, said the accused persons were staff of the Bolgatanga Hospital.

He noted that on August 4, 2023 around 11 a.m., the Bolgatanga Divisional Police Command picked intelligence that some staff of the hospital had been stealing boxes of medicines from the hospital’s storeroom, and then sold the medicines to over the counter medicine sellers and pharmacies operating within and outside the region.

He stated that around 8:30p.m. on that fateful day, the divisional police patrol team, led by Detective Sergeant Eric Negle, monitored and arrested Asoke who was loading boxes of drugs from Ms Banoeyelle’s official bungalow at Baukere into a waiting Toyota Vitz car with registration number GE 1532-21, owned by Ms Raheem.

He informed the court that 12 boxes were found in the car and a further search conducted in the bungalow led to the discovery of 22 additional boxes containing various drugs.

Interrogation

Inspector Adabeen added that upon interrogation, Asoke mentioned Raheem as the one who sent him, and she was subsequently arrested at her official residence within the premises of the regional hospital.

Raheem in her caution statement admitted to the offence, and stated that it was a deal between her and Ms Banoeyelle.

The prosecutor stressed that at about 6:30 a.m. on August 5, 2023, Banoeyelle was also  arrested, and she stated upon interrogation that she was informed by Raheem that the said drugs were surplus, and based upon that she offered her bungalow for the medicines to be kept for them to sell later.

It was disclosed during interrogation that about three weeks ago Raheem informed Banoeyelle that she wanted to pick 34 boxes of the medicines from the regional hospital storeroom and needed a place to keep them for sale for the accomplices to share the proceeds.

He mentioned that Banoeyelle agreed and offered her official bungalow, and based upon that they selected 28 boxes containing various medicines from the storeroom and Asoke conveyed them in the car.

Banoeyelle led Asoke to her bungalow and the medicines were offloaded into the room, and the latter, in his caution statement, said that he received GH¢200.00 from Fasilat for transporting the medicines to Banoeyelle’s bungalow.

The accused persons refused to disclose the identity of their buyers and after investigation they were charged and arraigned.

Writer’s email:
gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh