The Circuit Court in Accra presided over by Her Honour Afia Owusua has granted bail in the sum of GHc80,000 each to the four accused persons who have been slapped with six charges including stealing of COVIDSHIELD vaccine.
In addition to the bail sum, they are to produce two sureties both should be justified and should be persons living within the jurisdiction of the Court.
They are also to present themselves to the case investigator till the final determination of the case.
The total bail sum of the four is GHc320,000.
The accused persons Stephen Dzisenu, 37, a Disease Control Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Cosmos Allotey, 42, an Occupational Health and Safety Officer, Joseph Knight Gaisie, a Project Assistant and a former Laboratory Technician at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and Lord Pabitey, a Disease Control Officer of the La Bawalashie Polyclinic have all pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.
As per the charges presented before the court, Dzisenu and Pabitey have been charged with stealing. Allortey is facing charges of dishonestly receiving and pretending to be a public officer. While Gaisie is facing a charge of abatement.
Bail application
The accused persons who were represented by three lawyers took turns to apply for bail for them after the facts of the case was read in court.
According to the defence lawyers, the accused persons are innocent of the charges and at the right time, they will prove their innocence.
According to the defence lawyers, the accused persons are prominent persons in society and have relatives ready to stand as sureties for them.
The defence lawyers urged the court to consider the importance of the Easter celebrations and exercise it discretion in their favour.
The accused persons, the lawyers said, would not interfere with investigations. In the case of Pabitey, the defence said, the accused person willingly presented himself to the National Security officers after he returned to the jurisdiction.
The prosecutor Inspector Stephen Ahiable dis not opposed to the bail application.
Orders
The court after listening to the parties admitted The accused persons to bail.
The prosecution has therefore been ordered to file their witness statement and disclosures within two weeks and have it served on the accused persons and their lawyers.
The case has been adjourned to April 28, 2021 for Case Management Conference.
Brief facts
The facts according to the prosecution were that Dzisenu allegedly stole 36 vials of the COVIDSHIELD, while Lord Pabitey, a Disease Control Officer of the La Bawalashie Polyclinic, now at large, allegedly stole 26 vials of COVIDSHIELD.
Detective Sergeant Ahiable said Allotey was the person who received the stolen COVIDSHIELD from Pabitey and Dzisenu.
The court heard that Allotey allegedly administered the vaccines at GH¢200.00 per jab.
Gaisie is also being held for additional charge of abetment of crime.
The prosecutor said during the first week of March this year, the operatives got wind that some health officials had been stealing and selling COVID-19 vaccines.
Detective Sergeant Ahiable said during investigation, the operatives discovered that it was Allotey who injects the COVID-19 vaccines for a fee.
He said the complainants contacted Allotey via the telephone and feigned interest in buying some of the COVID-19 vaccines, so he charged the complainants GH¢200.00 per vaccination.
The prosecution said on March 16 Allotey was arrested when he showed up to inject the complainant at Labone, Accra.
He said when Allotey was searched, eight COVIDSHIELD vials, eight used COVIDSHIELD, 173 pieces of 0.5 ml unused injection syringes and cotton were found on him.
The prosecution said during interrogation, Allotey mentioned Dzisenu and Pabitey as his source.
He said Allotey led the National Security operatives to arrest Dzisenu and Gaisie.
The prosecution said Allotey admitted buying 36 of the vials at GH¢18,000.00.
Detective Sergean Ahiable told the court that Allotey explained that he sold 20 of the vials of COVIDSHIELD at a cost of GH¢16,000.00 and later returned 15 vials to Dzisenu.
The prosecution said Allotey said he also bought 26 vials of the COVIDSHIELD from Pabitey at GH¢4,800.00.
Sarpong said Dzisenu also mentioned Gaisie as the one who aided and facilitated the sale of the stolen COVIDSHIELD vaccines to Allotey.
Source: Ghana /Starrfm.com.gh/Murtala Inusah
