THREE suspects, who allegedly tried to defraud Natpharm of US$9 600 by tendering
a fake requisition purportedly from Mt Darwin Hospital, have been denied bail by
magistrate Dennis Mangosi.
Magistrate Mangosi on Tuesday ruled that the accused persons are facing a serious
offence and could abscond trial, if granted bail.
This was also cemented by the evidence-in-chief submitted by the Investigating
Officer, Farai Sibanda, who added that there was a possibility that the accused
persons were part of a syndicate that is defrauding hospitals using the same modus
operandi.
They were remanded in custody to December 5. The accused, Harawa Yavunga,
who is employed as pharmacy technician by Mt Darwin Hospital, allegedly raised a
fictitious hospital requisition and issued a voucher purporting that the hospital
required certain medicines and surgicals.
This took place on November 8 and his co-accomplices are Karamayi Mondoka (43),
Kudakwashe Mupa (17), and Gift Mondoka (35).
The accused are being represented by Bensen Taruvinga and Mr Liberty Gono.
Mupa was released into the custody of his mother because he is a minor.
The plan of fraud was stopped by an alert NatPharm dispatch manager, Nixon
Cosmas Zvandasara, who decided to verify with Mount Darwin District Hospital if
they had ordered the medicines, and had given permission for the medicines to be
carried in a private green Toyota Hiace van, whose driver was “Gift”.
The hospital denied ever sending people or such an order, prompting Zvandasara to
notify the police. The trio was subsequently arrested.
Prosecuting, Zebediah Bofu alleged that on Friday last week at around 4pm, Mupa
and Gift, acting in connivance, went to NatPharm with a hospital requisition and
issue voucher number dated November 8 and purportedly issued by Mount Darwin
District Hospital.
They tendered their requisition to the dispatch department and their order was
processed.
The following medicines and surgicals were loaded into their vehicle; 1008 cycles
x10 cartons levenorgestrol 150mg of ethinylestradiol 30mg tabs (control pills), 100x
100 x 2 cartons of paracetamol 500mg pills, and 120 cartons of 10 x 100 latex
examination gloves.
The court heard that Zvandasara decided to verify the order with the purported
originator of the requisition and issue voucher through the Mt Darwin District Hospital
pharmacy manager, Tendai David Mukanya, who denied ever sending anyone to
collect the order on behalf of Mount Darwin Hospital.
He told detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics who swiftly attended the scene.
Upon arrival, the detectives arrested Mupa and Gift, who then implicated Karamayi.
The latter was lured by detectives and arrested at a Spar Supermarket along Harare
Street. They took him to his workplace in Harare where they conducted searches in
his shop.
Detectives seized and recovered 36×250 Isoflurane 100 percent made in Egypt.
