Malawi Police officers in Mzuzu City on Monday arrested a pharmacy technician at Mzuzu Central Hospital (MCH) after he allegedly took drugs belonging to the public hospital to his house.
Mzuzu Police spokesperson Maurice Chapola confirmed the arrest in an interview on Monday.
He said: “We have indeed arrested Yohane Ndowolo, 28, from Mwakasingira Village, Traditional Authority [T/A] Kilupula in Karonga who is a pharmacy technician at Mzuzu Central Hospital. We have also arrested his customer, Beatrice Kaliyele, 75, from Mwafilaso Village, T/A Kyungu in Karonga.”
According to Chapola, police had previously received information that some people working in the pharmacy at MCH were selling drugs to Tanzanian businesspersons.
“We organised ourselves and went to his [Ndowolo’s] house. We found some drugs in the sitting room, some in his bedroom while some were in the boys’ bedroom. Both Ndowolo and his customer, Beatrice Kaliyele, were there,” he said.
Ndowolo has been charged with theft by public servant contrary to Section 362(1) of the Penal Code whereas his customer has been charged with the offence of receiving stolen property contrary to Section 328(1) of the Penal Code, according to Chapola.
Drugs found at Ndowolo’s house included 439 packets of LA, 92 bottles of erythromycin, 385 packets of ciprofloxacin, four bottles of Hemocue, 360 bottles of ceftriaxone sodium for injection, 395 bottles of Ketamine Hydrochride, 17 packets of Amoxine, 80 packets of Chitetezo Nets and one packet of bactrim, according to police who also claimed to have found bed sheets printed MCH.
Police said the value of the drugs in monetary terms is yet to be established.
