Edward Danso Wiafe, Sales Executive Officer of East Cantonments Pharmacy, is alleged to have stolen GH¢3,760,167.38 from his employers between the year 2021 and 2022.
He was to supply Korle Bu Medical Stores, Korle Bu 24-hour Pharmacy, University of Ghana Medical Centre, 37 Military Hospital Chemist, Finney Hospital, Ga-East Municipal Hospital, St. John’s Hospital and Aneeja Hospital with pharmaceutical products worth the amount quoted above, but never did.
Edward was dragged, together with one Emmanuel Kofi Kye, to the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Joojo Hagan, on Tuesday, this week, on the counts of stealing, dishonestly receiving and money laundering.
Edward and Emmanuel have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by the court. Edward was granted bail in the sum of GH¢2 million, with two sureties, one to be justified with landed property not less than the value of the bail sum.
Emmanuel, on the other hand, was slapped with GH¢15,000.00, with two sureties, one to be justified with landed property, not less than the value of the bail sum.
The case has been adjourned to December 18, 2023.
The facts
ASP Emmanuel Haligah, presenting the facts of the case to the court, stated that the complainant is Bediako Amoafo-hene, Chief Executive Officer of East Cantonment Pharmacy.
He added that the first accused (A1), Edward Danso Wiafe, was the Sales Executive Officer of East Cantonments Pharmacy and lives at Tantra Hill, while Emmanuel Kofi Kye (A2) is a dealer in pharmaceutical products at Okaishie drug lane and resides at McCarthy Hill.
The prosecuting officer said Edward had been the East Cantonment Pharmacy’s Sales Executive Officer since 2009, and he was in charge of building the company’s customer base, as well as supplying them pharmaceutical products.
Regrettably, the court was told, sometime in 2022, the complainant detected that these health departments, Korle Bu Medical Stores, Korle Bu 24-hour Pharmacy, University of Ghana Medical Centre, 37 Military Hospital Chemist, Finney Hospital, Ga-East Municipal Hospital, St John’s Hospital and Aneeja Hospital, were indebted to the company.
Following this, letters were sent to the said customers concerning their indebtedness, but to the company’s surprise, all the customers denied ever receiving such supply from A1.
Meanwhile, the complainant further detected that between the year 2021 and 2022, Edward had taken delivery of various drugs worth GH¢3,760,167.38 to be supplied to the aforementioned customers.
The prosecutor said investigations had it that 11 invoices in respect of drugs totalling GH¢824,736.74 were assigned to Al for delivery to Korle Bu Medical Stores within the period of February 11, 2021 to January 26, 2022, but the accused rather diverted the drugs to his own personal buyers.
Again, four invoices in respect of drugs totalling GH¢209,791.60 were assigned to Al for delivery to Korle Bu 24 Hours Pharmacy between the period of February 15, 2021, and May 6, 2021, were never delivered nor accounted for.
Additionally, 23 invoices for drugs totalling GH¢1,110,072.74 that were assigned to Al for delivery to the University of Ghana Medical Centre, between the period of March 10, 2021 to August 17, 2022, never reached their destination.
Also 31 invoices for drugs, totalling GH¢1,380,719.25, and assigned to Al for delivery to 37 Military Hospital Chemist between the period of January 13, 2021 to January 26, 2022 were not delivered.
Sixteen invoices for drugs totalling GH¢235,847.05 were assigned to the Al for delivery to Finney Hospital, St John’s Hospital, Ga-East Municipal Hospital, and Aneeja Clinic between the period of November 5, 2021, and March 2, 2022, were allegedly diverted and not countered for.
Nevertheless, Edward has disputed having supplied pharmaceutical consumables to the tune of GH¢3,760,167.38 but admitted to GH¢3,308.131.44.
The accused was then quarried by the complainant and Accounts Manager of the pharmaceutical company, where he confessed to have diverted some of the drugs meant for the specific customers to others who were not known to the company.
The complainant petitioned the Director General CID, and Al was arrested.
Edward admitted the offence and mentioned Emmanuel as one of the people who he sold some of the diverted drugs worth GH¢270,000.00 to. Emmanuel was subsequently arrested, but denied buying that much of drugs from Al, claiming that he only bought drugs worth GH¢15,000.00.
The complainant also engaged auditors to conduct an audit investigation into the activities of Edward.
At the same time, a search conducted by the police at Al’s house led to the discovery of a wire mesh production machine, valued $68,000, which was acquired using the proceeds of the alleged crime.
Similarly, Edward also used GH¢50,000 from the proceeds to purchase a land located at Berekuso in the Eastern Region, as well as invested GH¢1,500,000.00 into road construction works and toilet project.
The prosecutor said investigation has established that sometimes, Al takes drugs from other delivery officers after they had entered such drugs in their names.
He explained that Al would intentionally waits for the drugs to be entered on the company’s records against the names of the customers and then will meet the delivery team outside the company premises to collect the drugs under the pretext that those drugs were for emergency delivery to customers.
The prosecutor said after investigations the accused persons were charged with the offences and put before the court.
