KAMPALA-UGANDA/NEWSDAY: The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) has recovered government drugs valued at Shs21bn which had been stolen.
This followed a tip off from a whistle-blower on February 27th 2022 about theft and storage of government drugs at a private residence of a one Jane Frances Oling in Sekati Zone Mpererwe parish, Kawempe Division.
Upon a directive from the Head of SH-ACU, Brig. Gen Henry Isoke, the unit’s investigative team working with Kanyaya Police carried out a search at the home and discovered that 193 boxes of assorted pharmaceutical drugs were in illegal possession by the said occupant.
During the interrogations Miss Jane Frances Oling claimed that the drugs are owned by a Community Based Organization (CBO) registered in Oyam District called Women in Development, where she is the Executive Director.
However, further interrogation established that Oling has no legal instrument to operate in any other area except Oyam District where her CBO was registered.
The investigations also established that the CBO has no legal relationship with Joint Medical Stores (JMS), which purportedly supplied the impounded drugs recovered at the said premises.
Ms. Oling revealed that she was receiving these medicines informally through an understanding with two staff of JMS however she didn’t have certified copies on how she gets and distributes the drugs.
The Unit working with National Drug Authority (NDA) and a pharmacist from JMS carried out a verification exercise and established that; one all the items verified are classified drugs that are not supposed to be found in possession of unqualified persons as in the case of the suspect.
The drugs included contraceptives in oral and injectable form and as well as needle-syringe sets and intrauterine devices. A statement was recorded from the NDA Head of the verification team to this effect.
Some of the seized items were pregnancy testing kits marked Government of Uganda –Not for Sale.
It was also established that two cartons of a drug called misoprostol (an abortion pill) had expired in May and December 2021.
The suspect in the presence of all the stakeholders acknowledged the findings of the verification exercise.
Consequently, Oling violated the National Drug Policy and Authority Act, section 17 and 27(ii).
She was on Friday arraigned at the Chief Magistrates court in Makindye with her co-accused, Ivan Luswata and Proscovia Onying who are staff of JMS on charges of theft, conspiracy to commit a felony, supplying restricted medicines and storage of restricted medicines contrary to the law.
They were remanded to Luzira Prison until March 15, 2022.
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