150 cartons of essential drugs arrested
The Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Mohamed Daudis Koroma (in photo) has ordered the police at Adonkia in Goderich not to allow bail to four suspects arrested past Sunday with over 150 cartons of essential drugs, this press can authoritatively report.
It is further reported that minister Koroma urged the police to carry out thorough investigation and speedily charge all suspects to court over drugs meant for the National AIDS Secretarial which were found loaded in the rim of a Toyota van.
The arrested drugs, according to confirmed sources, were stolen from a store at the Lakka Government Hospital and intercepted by the police who received a tip-off on the very Sunday and mounted a check point.
The Director of Drugs and Medical Supplies, Bassie Turay, said the cartons contained essential drugs that are highly needed in tropical savanna, such as aspirin, Paracetamol and Ferrous Sulphate.
Sources say Police Constable 11640 Conteh John Thalo Kota who intercepted the vehicle immediately informed Deputy Minister, Mohamed Daudis Koroma, giving details about the vehicle with Registration Number ABY 907, an Urvan van.
Mr. Mohamed Daudis Koroma led a team which included the Pharmacy Board and the Directorate of Drugs and Medical Supplies who identified the drugs as property of the National AIDS Secretariat and not of the Free Health Care as reported in one of the local newspapers.
Addressing a joint Police and Ministry of Health and Sanitation meeting at the Adonkia Police Station on Monday, Deputy Health and Sanitation minister, described the theft as inhuman, noting that the opportunistic infection drugs were meant to promote the health of people living with HIV and AIDS, and therefore urged the immediate prosecution of the matter within 72 hours.
Responding, the Officer in Charge of Operations, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sorie Bangura promised to charge the matter to court immediately the investigation ended.
Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle, Abdul Karim Sesay, a trader and security attached to the Kingharma Road Hospital, Abu-Bakarr Jalloh, and the Assistant Store Keeper at Lakka, Mr. Joseph Salifu, and the apprentice of the vehicle are presently helping the police with their investigation.
In another development, the Deputy Health Minister and team were also alerted at the Central Police Station in Freetown by civil society activist, Mr. Charles Mambu of the Health For All Coalition following the arrest of the National Mortuary Services Ambulance at Connaught, with Registration Number ADK 231 loaded with bags of charcoal, unspecified quantity of palm oil and passengers.
Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister, Mohamed Daudis Koroma commended the police for their vigilance in tracking down crime and expressed gratitude to the Health for All Coalition for their continued assistance to his ministry.
The ambulance driver, Mr. Lamin Gassama is helping the police with their investigation.
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