Drugs thief remanded into custody.

Tema, May 20, GNA - A security man of Major and Company, a drug manufacturing firm who stole a large quantity of drugs has been remanded into custody by the Tema Circuit Court "A". William Z. Azindoma pleaded guilty.

However, the prosecution pleaded with the court to remand him to enable the accused to help the police to retrieve the drugs. He will reappear on May 26 2004.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Mary Assunta told the court, presided over by Mr Charles Asiedu that about a month ago the accused reported for work at 7:30 am and about 4:30 pm,

She said the accused took advantage of the workers who went to their lockers at the close of the day's work and sneaked into the factory and packed quantities of drugs including Flucloxaclin, Ephedrine Nasal drugs and chloroquine tablets into empty cartons and carried them to the back of the factory.

The following day, he went to the factory with a taxi and collected the drugs to his house at Ashaiman. About two weeks ago, the accused went to the company's secretary and collected price list of the products, and quickly took them to Tenasa Pharmacy to show that the Managing Director of Major and Company sent him.

Chief Inspector Assunta said the pharmacist then gave the accused the required drugs the pharmacy will need. The accused quickly went back to the factory and stole credit sales invoice booklets.

On May 17, at 11 am, the accused went back to the pharmacy shop with the required drugs, and sold 25 bottles of Liver-Plex-B at 330,000 cedis and 20 bottles of the nasal drops at 192,500 cedis on credit for payment in a week's time.

Chief Inspector Assunta said no sooner had he left the shop than the Managing Director also came in, and the pharmacist informed him that he had just bought some of his products from the sales man, and the MD then requested for the invoice covering the drugs sold and was given a photo copy.

A report was then made to Tema community (8) police and the accused was arrested and when his room was searched, seven cartons and 14 bottles of Fluctoxaclin, 4 cartons of Nasal drops and 1,880 strips of Chloroquine were found, with a total value at 6,207,975 cedis.

The accused in his caution statement admitted the offence.