Hospital staff, vendor nabbed for drug theft

After successfully beating the system to steal and sell government drugs for sometime, a 28-year-old medical assistant in Ntcheu has finally met the long arm of the law.

Elinata Mapondera, who works as a medical assistant at Doviko Health Centre in the district, was arrested on Wednesday after she was caught red handed selling government drugs to a business Welosi Chionjeza at Tsangano Turn-off.

“We have been pursuing her for sometime after we received a tip from well wishers that she was stealing government medical drugs and selling them. She was even crossing the border and selling them in Mozambique,” Ntcheu Police deputy spokesperson Hastings Chigalu told The Nation yesterday.

Chigalu said at the time of arrest Mapondera had already sold the drugs worth K49 000 to other businessmen and was in the process of selling the rest to another, Chionjeza who plies his trade at Lizulu Market.

“We arrested both of them and in the process we also managed to recover five units of Nystatin oral drops- which translate to 50 bottles each of 30ml,” he said.

Mapondera was charged with an offence of theft by public servant contrary to section 283 of the penal code while Chionjeza is answering to the charge of being found in possession of government medical drugs suspected to have been stolen contrary to section 45 of Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Act

The two suspects appeared before the Ntcheu Magistrate Court on Wednesday afternoon where they pleaded guilty to the offence and were committed to Ntcheu Prison on full remand. Hearing of their case starts today.

The medical assistant comes from Zidyani Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nsamala in Balaka while 20-year-old Chionjeza is from Kapala Village, T/A Chakhumbira in Ntcheu. n