Two pharmacists, police officer jailed 2 years for theft of medicines

By GRACE CHAILE

TWO pharmacy technologists and a police officer have been sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour by the Lusaka Magistrate Court for stealing medicines worth over K200, 000, which were destined for Nangoma Mission Hospital.
The convicted individuals were identified as Ackiel Phiri, a pharmacy technologist based at Nangoma Mission Hospital; Vincent Chibale, a pharmacy technologist based at Sikanze Police Hospital and deployed there by the Ministry of Health; and Assistant Commissioner of Police Kenneth Chikwanda, who served as Hospital Administrator at Sikanze Police Hospital and was in charge of its overall administration.
The three were sentenced two years each for theft by public servant and one year for forgery, with sentences to run concurrently.
Chief Inspector Portipher Phiri, who was in charge of the transport section at Sikanze Police Hospital, was acquitted of the charges after the court found he acted under instructions and lacked knowledge of the forgery or theft.
Magistrate Crispin Hampungani found that Phiri and Chibale forged a delivery note to collect drugs from the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), using a Zambia Police vehicle.
The unsigned and unstamped document was used to divert the medicines, some of which were later traced to private drug stores and residences.
The court ruled that Chikwanda coordinated the transport and delivery of the drugs and played a central role in the scheme. He was convicted of theft by public servant and conveying stolen property.
Ackiel Phiri was also convicted of forging and uttering an introductory letter falsely claiming to be from Nangoma Hospital Administrator Sister Veronica Nyambe, which was used to collect the drugs.
The court ordered that the full value of K216,255.17 be recovered from the three convicts and forfeited to the State, through deductions from their government salaries and benefits.