Police have insisted that only investigations will link or exonerate First Pharmacy from the illegal sale of Coronavirus vaccines.
On Monday morning, the management of First Pharmacy denied involvement in the sale of Coronavirus vaccines, adding that none of their premises had been raided and that neither of their staff had been arrested over the same.
“It is not true that they raided First Pharmacy in Mulago or at our branch in Wandegeya. The police didn’t arrest any of our staff. Therefore, Police didn’t get any Covid-19 Astra Zeneca vaccines from our pharmacy because we don’t have any,” Ahmed Yusuf, the Managing Director for First Pharmacy told journalists on Monday morning.
First Pharmacy has since demanded an apology in 24 hours from the police management.
However, addressing the weekly police press conference, Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said the operation carried out by the Crime Intelligence Directorate which the Police force’s intelligence arm and the Ministry of Health was intelligence led.
He insisted that they got a tip off that some pharmacies had illegally acquired Covid vaccines and that they were selling them, leading to the operation.
“First Pharmacy held a press conference and denied involvement but our investigations are still continuing. The allegations are there and it(First Pharmacy) is one of those places where the seven suspects were got. If it is not their staff, investigations will help prove or disprove the allegations against them,”Enanga said.
The First Pharmacy Managing Director earlier told journalists that no Covid vaccine had been found at their premises as had been alleged by police.
He insisted they don’t deal in sell of Covid vaccines.
“We believe it is a matter of wrong identification since we share compound with some of the raided pharmacies (Modern Diagnostic Laboratory)which have been doing covid vaccination and issuance of certificates,” he said.
The Police spokesperson however asked the management of First Pharmacy to wait for conclusion of investigations into the matter.
“The suspects were arrested administering vaccines to clients upon payment but investigations will help us prove,” he said.
According to Enanga, another raid at Victoria hospital led to arrest of five suspects putting the total at 12 the number of people arrested over the illegal of Covid vaccines.
He noted that during the raid, 803 doses of Covid vaccines, 1000 consent forms , test tubes and other Covid vaccination related documents were recovered .
“They are being processed for being in possession of government stores illegally, theft and conspiracy to commit a felony,”Enanga said.
https://nilepost.co.ug/2021/06/14/first-pharmacy-distances-self-from-sale-of-covid-vaccines-demands-police-apology/
