One more seized by the theft and sale of COVID-19 vaccines | Social

Lord Pabitey, a disease control officer from La Bawaleshie Polyclinic who escaped after allegedly stealing and selling 26 vials of COVISHIELD has been arrested.

Pabitey, who appeared in Accra circuit court on Friday, has been placed in legal pretrial detention to reappear on April 1.

Last week, Homeland Security arrested three people for their alleged involvement in the theft and sale of COVISHIELD vaccines belonging to the Government of Ghana.

Stephen Dzisenu, a 37-year-old Disease Control Officer at Greater Accra Regional Hospital, is said to have stolen 36 vials of COVISHIELD and Lord Pabitey, a Disease Control Officer from La Bawalashie Polyclinic, allegedly also stole 26 vials of COVISHIELD.

Cosmos Allotey, a 42-year-old occupational health and safety officer, is said to have received the stolen COVISHIELD from Pabitey and Dzisenu.

Allotey allegedly administered the vaccines at a cost of GHS 200.00 per injection.

Joseph Knight Gaisie, a project assistant and former laboratory technician at Greater Accra Regional Hospital, is also in custody for complicity in crime.

Dzisenu, Gaisie and Allotey – were placed in preventive detention on March 19 by the same court to reappear on April 1.

During today’s session, Police Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu said they were in court for Pabitey to be detained pending further investigations.

On March 19 of this year, Police Detective Sergeant Frederick Sarpong, the prosecutor, prayed to the Court chaired by Ms. Afua Owusuaa Appiah not to accept the defendants’ pleas, as the investigations were ongoing and the efforts to arrest other suspects.

The charges against them were not read to them. However, the facts of the case were read in a public hearing.

Police Detective Sergeant Sarpong said accused persons, when granted bail, may not only interfere with investigations, but also with other witnesses.

He said that as of the events, other people involved had not yet been arrested and asked the Court to return them.

The defendants’ lawyers requested bail, saying that their clients were servants of the Republic and that they would not interfere with the investigations.

The facts presented by the prosecution were that the complainants were national security agents.

The prosecution said that during the first week of March this year, the operatives received intelligence that some health officials had been stealing and selling the COVID-19 vaccines brought by the Government of Ghana.

Detective Sergeant Sarpong said that through intelligence, Allotey’s name was mentioned and her phone number was obtained as the one who injects the COVID-19 vaccines for a fee.

He said the whistleblower contacted Allotey and feigned interest in purchasing some of the COVID-19 vaccines, for which he charged the whistleblower 200.00 GHS per vaccination.

The prosecution said that on March 16, 2021, Allotey was arrested when he was invited to Labone in Accra to inject the whistleblower at a fee of GHS200.00.

He said that when Allotey was registered, eight vials of COVISHIELD, eight of used COVISHIELD, 173 pieces of unused 0.5 ml injection syringes and cotton wool were found.

The prosecution said that during questioning, Allotey mentioned Dzisenu and Pabitey as his source.

He said Allotey directed Homeland Security agents to arrest Dzisenu and Gaisie.

The prosecution said Allotey, in its investigative warning statement, admitted to purchasing 36 of the vials of the government-obtained COVISHIELD vaccine at a cost of GHS18,000.00.

According to him, Allotey further said that he sold 20 of the COVISHIELD vials at a cost of GHS16,000.00 and then returned 15 vials to Dzisenu.

The prosecution said Allotey said it also purchased 26 vials of COVISHIELD from Pabitey at the cost of GH ¢ 4,800.00.

Sarpong said that Dzisenu in his warning statement named Gaisie as the one who helped and facilitated the sale of the COVISHIELD vaccines stolen from Allotey.