Four Ministry of Health Workers remanded for stealing drugs

Accra June 21, GNA - Four persons of the Greater Accra Regional Health Service, who allegedly stole drugs worth 353.8 million cedis belonging to the Ministry of Health on Tuesday appeared before a Circuit Court in Accra. Elfrida Lamptey, a Supply Officer; Joseph Nsiah, a Storekeeper; Daniel Anum Tagoe, a Senior Hospital Orderly and William Opoku Addo, an Accountant, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and stealing. The Court remanded them into prison custody to reappear on July 5.

Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abichab Boye told the Court that the accused persons were personnel of the Greater Accra Regional Medical Stores, Accra. DSP Boye said during May 2003, the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) of the Greater Accra Regional Health Service was tasked to reconcile dealings of the Regional Medical Stores with the health institutions under it between 2001 and April 2003. Prosecution said the FMU discovered that drugs worth 353, 853,603 cedis could not be accounted for.

The Prosecutor said when the accused persons were confronted they accepted responsibility saying that the debt occurred as a result of shortage and pleaded for time to enable them to refund the amount and they subsequently refunded 25.5 million cedis. On November 5, 2003, during Police investigations the accused persons refunded another 74.5 million cedis.