The Magistrates’ Court in Mangochi has convicted two women, Mary Julius (24) and Molly Kainga (34) on six counts each for selling gentamicin medicine as an HIV cure.

Magistrate Muhamad Chande has since said that the court needs time to review the evidence before sentencing, which has been slated for 12 March.

The charges include tampering with medicine labels, keeping medicines on unlicensed premises, dealing in medical supplies without a pharmaceutical license, advertising medicinal products without authorisation, disseminating misleading information about HIV/AIDS and obtaining money through theft by trick.

The women were arrested by police and officials from the Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority for allegedly promoting gentamicin injection as an HIV/AIDS remedy on social media platform known as TikTok.