By Enoch Sando in Rivercess, Liberia
Investigations are under who are responsible for the attempted smuggling of a big quantity of medicines and medical supplies from Liberia’s southeastern Rivercess County to the capital, Monrovia, amidst frequent drug shortages in the struggling County.
Officers of the joint security forces assigned at the Owen Grove checkpoint in Grand Bassa County have arrested several boxes of medical drugs and equipments allegedly purchased from the St.Francis Hospital in Cestos City.
During join securities preliminary investigation upon the arrest of the medical drugs and equipment,the allege suspect only identify as Chuku Gibson admitted to purchasing the drugs and other medical equipments from the St. Francis Hospital from a Nurse identify as Junnet Cooper, who one of these in charge of the Hospital pharmacy.
When invited by Officers of the Rivercess Police detachment for questioning, Junnet Cooper denied the allegation by suspect Chuku Gibson but later admitted to Officers of the Grand Bassa Police detachment of selling the medical drugs and equipments to the suspect in the tone of $38,000 Liberian Dollars.
The two private securities officers on duty Wednesday at the Hospital told Police preliminary investigation that on Wednesday March 14,2018 at about 4PM Junnet Cooper entered the Hospital compound in a white pickup with an unknown driver and said they have come to take deposer of some expired drugs and medical equipments from the Hospital’s pharmacy for burning.
Meanwhile, both Junnet Cooper and suspect Chuku Gibson have been arrested and in the custody of the Grand Bassa Policeb detachment and expected to be sent back to Rivercess.
The two private securities on duty when the incident occurred Shad Myers and Junior Blodyu are in the custody of the Rivercess Police detachment awaiting further investigation.
The issues of drugs shortage at the St.Francis Hospital, which is the county’s only referral Hospital, has been a long existence problems and other clinics in county.
Patients are on a daily basic given piece of papers to purchase needed drugs at pharmacies at the result of the absence of essential drugs for the Hospital.