Three staff members of Bolgatanga Regional Hospital in the Upper East Region have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service for allegedly stealing boxes of assorted medicines from the hospital.
The suspects are Raymond Asoke, a 33-year-old driver, Bridget Noeyelle, a 33-year-old assistant dispensary officer, and Raheem Fasilat, a 48-year-old storekeeper at the hospital.
The arrests were made through an intelligence-led operation conducted by the police in the region.
Asoke was first apprehended on August 4, 2023, after he was observed loading boxes of medicines from an unmarked house into a saloon car with registration number GE 1532-21.
Upon searching the car, 12 boxes of various medicines were recovered. Further investigation led to the discovery of an additional 22 boxes of medicines at the house.
During interrogation, Asoke implicated Noeyelle and Fasilat, leading to their subsequent arrests. The suspects are currently in police custody and will be brought before the court to face legal proceedings.
The hospital has been facing a recurring issue of medicine theft for the past two years, but previous attempts to apprehend the culprits had been unsuccessful. The criminals’ ability to hide and dispose of stolen medicines made it challenging for hospital management to track them down.
However, on the day of the arrest, luck was not on the suspects’ side. Asoke was caught in the act of stealing medicines and attempted to escape but was quickly apprehended by a team of police officers who acted on a tip-off.
Further investigation is ongoing to identify any other accomplices involved in the crime and to determine the motive behind the thefts.
