BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
A pharmacist at the Victoria Falls District Hospital allegedly stole a stash of birth control pills from a local wellness clinic that he intended to channel to the black market in Harare.
The alleged drug theft scheme by Tafadzwa Mudhliwevhu (41) backfired after the bus that was carrying the consignment of 1 296 birth control pills was intercepted by police at a roadblock in Lupane.
Mudhliwevhu from Mkhosana suburb on Monday appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Godswill Mavhenge charged with the theft of the tablets worth $233 928.
Prosecutor Portia Moyo said on June 27, the pharmacist completed a voucher with serial number 996594H for 1296 levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol tablets, which he purported would be sent to Mpilo Central Hospital.
Moyo said the voucher was done without the knowledge of the district medical officer.
On the day same day, Mudhliwevhu allegedly went to a Ceshhar Zimbabwe Clinic where he knew there were birth control pills expiring in September.
“Upon arrival, he approached the site manager Susan Mavhunga and told her that he wanted one box that contained 1296 levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol tablets which were expiring in September as per organisational norm,” Moyo said.
“On June 28, after he had been given the pills the accused instead of taking them to the Victoria Falls Hospital pharmacy took them to Stallion Cruise bus where he gave them to Joseph Dzingisai, a bus driver to transport them to Harare.
“On June 29, the bus was stopped at the 120 kilometre peg along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway by police at a roadblock and during the luggage search, they discovered a box of contraceptives containing 1296 pills.”
Moyo said after the pills were seized by police officers, on July
12 the accused approached Lupane police’s traffic section armed with a voucher and tried to retrieve the consignment, but was arrested.
In a written submission, Mudhliwevhu’s lawyers Ncube and Partners alleged their client was framed by his boss, the Hwange district medical officer Fungai Musinami.
“He denies that he is the one who collected the said box at Ceshhar Clinic (and) that he took it to the bus driver and that he claimed the box at Lupane Police Station,” the defence outline read.
“The charges are fabricated by the district medical officer Dr Fungai Musinami who has attempted to have him transferred before, indicating that she no longer wants him at the hospital.”
The trial will continue on Tuesday where Musinami will be cross examined.