CITY PHARMACIST SENTENCED TO 10YRS FOR SELLING EXPIRED DRUGS

 

Mr Hassan Ddegeya being led to the court cell by a police officer before he was driven away to Luzira on December on Tuesday. Photo by Farahani Mukisa 

By FARAHANI MUKISA
KAMPALA. The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has sentenced a city pharmacist to 10years after he was found guilty of selling expired drugs worth millions of shillings, among other corruption related charges.

Mr Hassan Ddegeya a former managing director of Safe Way Pharmacy was also convicted stealing over Shs100 million from his employer.
Justice Margret Tibulya who presided over the case ruled that prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Ddegeya was guilty of two counts of embezzlement, three counts of forgeries and three counts of uttering false documents.
Mr Ddegeya was accused by Hajj Hassan Isabirye and Ms Mariam Nagawa (complainants), both directors of the pharmacy for using his company position as the pharmacy manager to swindle money from the pharmacy’s accounts. 
Mr Ddegeya denied all the counts; however, Ms Tibulya ruled that the accused did not sufficiently provide evidence to exonerate him.
“The directors of the company and the workmates of the accused testified in court…he was the sole custodian of the pharmacy keys and books and that he was in charge of purchase of drugs, paying creditors among others,” Ms Tibulya ruled. 
“More evidence pins the accused [Ddegeya] of opening up a private account and banked company money amounting to Shs18 million without the consent of management,” the justice added.
Mr Isabirye, Ddegeya’s former boss told court that “that man (convict) has an endless list of people demanding him millions of money in our company name. For example, I was compelled to pay the mosque funds of Shs10 million that he ate by the time he had been an Imam, the money had been entrusted to him by the Muslims,” he said, adding that he was going to file another case in commercial court for losses and business damages. However, Ddegeya said he is going to challenge his conviction and sentence by an appeal.
CREDIT SOURCE: DAILY MONITOR