The senior resident magistrate court in Lilongwe has convicted and sentenced three government officials from the ministry of health who were working at Bwaila District Hospital to three years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing government drugs.
According to the state prosecutor, Sub Inspector Jones Chikonde told the court that the whole incident was revealed in the on November 20, 2015 following a tip from two professional guards of MM Guard Services who were manning the hospital’s main gate.
It was alleged that the two spotted a laundry attendant for the hospital identified as Viera Kwauma carrying a bag and was attempting to eyeshade the guards to cross unsearched.
When his plans were interrupted, this employee tried to escape but was immediately caught and after search was conducted it was discovered that he was attempting to sneak out with assorted government drugs wealth K540, 345.00 which at the time were being wrapped in a blanket.
His arrest implicated the involvement of three other health officials from the hospital’s Pharmacy department and a patient attendant respectively. Though the four suspects pleaded not guilty to the charge which was leveled against them, the evidence which was adduced by a police investigator, Detective Inspector Michael Maseko of Central Region Police Headquarters proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, this prompted Senior Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa who presided over the case to convict all the suspects except Yohane Mphande (34) of Simon village T/A Chisemphere district Kasungu who was acquitted during ruling.
During the judgment, Chirwa stated that failure of Bwaila hospital authorities in coming up with an audit report to prove drug theft practice at the hospital to ascertain the circumstantial evidence really showed that the offence was an inside job and well coordinated. He then convicted the accused persons with an offence of Theft which is contrary to section 278 of the Penal Code.
Sentencing the trio, Senior Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa condemned the act describing it as a dismay as cases of theft of medical drugs in government hospitals are on the increase. He stated that it is really worrisome to note that the perpetrators of these cases are civil servants who are tarnishing the image of the government thereby losing its public trust and confidence.
He further said that the effects of drug shortages in government hospitals is affecting many people’s lives mainly those who are less privileged and cannot afford to buy the drugs in private hospitals whenever they get sick and at the end they are the sufferers hence a need for a stiffer penalty to serve as a lesson to would be offenders. He therefore committed the trio to Maula prison to serve a custodial sentence of 36 months imprisonment with hard labour.
The convicts are: Viela Kwauma (36) who hails from Kalolo village T/A Kalolo in Lilongwe, Julio Makwinja (30) hails from Makunganya village T/A Mlumbe in Zomba and James Mphozongo (34) who hails from Malasa village T/A Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota district.
