Five people including two policemen have been arrested for allegedly stealing malaria drugs, worth over 3 million shillings in Gulu.
The five suspects are Bernard Nyeko, the Gulu Municipal Stores Assistant, Jennifer Lanyero, a Nursing Officer and Maryline Ajok, an Enrolled Nurse.
George Okut, the acting OC CID, who has declined to name the two police officers involved in stealing public drugs says the suspects were picked up yesterday night.
He says that the suspects were found in possession of boxes of coartem, which is used to treat malaria.
The drugs were packed in 22 boxes and loaded in excess of the 194 that were delivered to the various health centres in the municipality.
It's believed that the officials fodged records to enable them smuggle the stolen medicine from the stores in guise of delivering it to health centers in Gulu municipality.
Police say they discovered the trick after the delivery records at the health centres failed to tally with the figures at the stores.
Jennifer Lanyero, the Nursing Officer who transported the drugs to the five health centres says she didn't have prior knowledge that excess drugs had been packed.
She says that she only discovered the variance while offloading.
Geoffrey Nyeko, the Stores Assistant has admits to packing excess drugs but says it was olny a mistake.
Nyeko has toll Police that the Municipal Health Officer, Dr Ben Ongom oversaw the packaging of the excess drugs.
//Cue in: iMy mistake came#i
Cue out: i#present seeing.i//
Cases of drug theft by medical workers are rampant in Gulu municipal and district health centres.
Last year, at least three staff of Gulu hospital were arrested and charged with theft of drugs.
