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Lira District Deputy Internal Security Officer-DISO Henry Baluku has been arrested for allegedly stealing medicines meant for public health facilities in the district.
Baluku was arrested by a team from the State House Health Monitoring Unit on Thursday evening together with Bernard Adoko, the LC III chairman of Amach Sub County. The two were picked from their offices and taken to Lira Central Police Station where they are currently detained.
Moses Akena, the officer in charge of Lira Central Police Station said the arrest of the duo followed investigations launched in February against the loss of medicines from Amach Health Center IV and other government facilities in the area.
The probe followed tip off from a Lira-based public health specialist to the Resident District Commissioner Robert Abak, The whistle blower stated that local government officials were conniving with medical personnel to steal drugs supplied by National Medical stores. He asked the RDC’s office to audit the distribution of drugs to health facilities in the area.
In the subsequent action, an assortment of medical supplies worth more than 1 million Shillings was recovered and impounded. They included 13 boxes of malaria testing kits, four boxes of HIV testing kits and three tins of amoxicillin capsules, among other essential drugs.
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