By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
Police in the southern city of Bo say they have intercepted 53 bales of mosquito bednets stolen in Pujehun, Bo and Kambia districts.
The nets were being distributed to people across the country by the ministry of health to help combat malaria.
Inspector Abu-Bakarr Kamara of the Bo police division told Politico that on 12 June, 2014 four passengers including a woman heading to Liberia were arrested at Jendema, a few meters to the Mano River border with nine bales of bed nets meant for distribution by the district's health management team.
He said the bed nets were assigned to the health centre at Fairo in the Soro-gbeima chiefdom, adding that "the investigations relating to this matter arevery complex based on the fact that certain workers of the district health management team are involved in this particular act."
He said "due to the complex nature of this investigation the matter has been referred to the state counsel in Bo for legal advice". Inspector Kamara said "the principal suspect in this matter, one Isatu Kemokai, is presently on the run and we have prepared a warrant for her arrest".
He said the only woman arrested so far, known as Betty Massaquoi, was a business partner to the principal suspect.
Politico tried without success to speak to senior officials of the district health team but a usually reliable source attached to the health sector in the area confirmed that 85 bales of bed nets were sent to the health centre but only 60 bales were distributed to the people and which were properly accounted for.
The source said the Community Health Officer is nowhere to be seen, adding that at the moment the health centre lacked all other drugs except ORS and that 12 communities still didn't have bed nets.
Inspector Kamara said another discovery was made at two locations in Bo town and two suspects were arrested and charged with larceny and unlawful possession of state property.
He said "we have evidence that Isatu Kemokai, who is the principal suspect in the other incident in Pujehun, owned these other ones as well". He said eight more bales were also discovered at No. 4 Mahei Boima Road in Bo, in the possession of one Hafiju Fofanah.
That case, he said, was referred to the Criminal Investigations Department in Freetown for further investigation because "this same Fofanah was found with thirty bails of bed nets in Kambia for which he is facing a charge of larceny and unlawful possession of state property".
(C) Politico 02/07/14
