The Bureau of National Investigations has explained that the Chief Pharmacist arrested at the Goaso Government Hospital was selling expired Kinapharma drugs to patients.

Agyeman Badu was arrested by the BNI last week for selling blacklisted drugs imported by the Tobinco Pharmaceuticals.

He was released on Monday after four days in detention.

Below is the full statement by the BNI

EXPIRED DRUGS - GOASO GENERAL HOSPITAL

On 8th November 2013, Agyemang BADU, Chief Pharmacist of Goaso Government Hospital was invited by the Bureau over alleged dispensing of an expired malaria drug named LUMETHER 280 to a patient who reported to the hospital on 25th August, 2013. The drug in question was supplied to the hospital by KINAPHARMA LIMITED.

2. It was established that the hospital pharmacy under the watch of Agyeman BADU in April 2013, bought a drug which had expired in February 2013, and dispensed same to a patient in August 2013. It was also established that the expired drug was supplied by KINAPHARMA LIMITED.

3. BADU revealed that Konjar Sampson NAMIAK, the Hospital Administrator informed him on 28th August, 2013 that the husband of the patient reported to him that his wife had been given an expired LUMETHER 280 when she attended the hospital. Upon investigation, they discovered that even though all the sixty [60] cartons in stock had expiry dates of May and September 2015, twelve [12] smaller boxes containing sixty [60] packets of twelve [12] tablets each out of the lot supplied by KINAPHARMA LIMITED had the expiry date of February, 2013.

4. BADU indicated that upon the above discovery the Hospital Management invited Kofi Nsiah POKU, Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of KINAPHARMA LIMITED to a meeting. He disclosed that following the meeting, POKU accepted responsibility for the incident, paid one thousand five hundred Ghana cedis [GH¢1,500.00] to the patient as compensation and also replaced all the expired products for the hospital.

5. It is emphasized that Agyeman BADU was questioned on expired KINAPHARMA drugs and not on anything to do with TOBINCO.