Three employees of Medical Stores Limited and two Congolese nationals are among seven people who have been dragged to court for theft of drugs worth over six million kwacha.
Paul Bwalya who is Medical Stores Limited warehouse assistant, his receiving assistant Kalaluka Munyandekwa and a driver Ananias Simimba are jointly charged with two Congolose nationals and other Zambians for theft by servant and breaking into a building with intent to commit a felony.
Lusaka magistrate Greenwell Malumani has set October 2, 2017 for plea as three accused persons, who are on police bond, were not before court.
And Magistrate Malumani granted the other four accused persons bail.
He said despite the accused being innocent until the case was exhausted, it is unfortunate that there are allegations of theft of high value drugs when people are dying from diseases as a result of lack of drugs.
The court has granted the four K40,000 kwacha bail in their own recognisance and two working sureties each bond at K40,000 and employed in government.
The state had objected to the application stating that two accused persons were foreign nationals and that they were not of fixed abode.
But the court said there was no law which forbids granting a foreign national bail.
The accused allegedly broke into Medical Stores Limited with intent to commit a felony on August 20, 2017.
The second count states that, Kalaluka Munyandekwa, Paul Bwalya and Ananias Simumba between January 2016 and August, 2017 in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown being a person employed as warehouse assistants and driver of medical stores limited did steal assorted medicine altogether valued at K3,001,223.30 the property of the said employer.
And in the third count, Ntambwe Chikomba, Kalaluka Munyandekwa, Paul Bwalya, Ananias Simumba, Moses Sakala and Oliver Chipapala, between January 2016 and August 2017 in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, did steal assorted drugs altogether valued at K3,001,223.30 the property of Medical Stores Limited.