Employee of the Nation Builders Corps,(NaBCO)at the Tema General Hospital, Aaron Kofi Asante, and two others, have appeared before Accra Circuit Court for allegedly issuing COVID-19 vaccination cards to unvaccinated persons.
The two others, Kenneth Kojo Konadu, a Senior Finance Officer, at the Tema Metro Health Directorate, and Afia Nsiah Sarfo, were accused of supplying the cards to Mr Asante at a cost.
All accused pleaded not guilty to the charges of forgery of official document, stealing and dishonestly receiving.
The court presided over by Adelaide AbuiKeddey adjourned the case to February 23.
Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah said in December, 2021, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) received information that some health professionals in the Tema Metropolis were issuing and selling COVID-19 vaccination cards to people who had not been vaccinated.
He said that Mr Asante was arrested while attempting to sell two vaccination cards with serial numbers COVID-19/04616934 and COVID-19/05695190 to two persons.
Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandahsaid when a search was conducted in Mr Mensah’s room, seven vaccination cards were found and upon interrogation, he mentioned MrKonadu and Madam Sarfo as the persons who supplied him with the cards.
The court heard that 34 COVID-19 vaccination cards were found in the room of MrKonadu when a search was conducted by the police.
“Investigations revealed that Konadu and Sarfo were members of the COVID-19 vaccination teams that were engaged by the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate for the vaccination exercise.” Chief InspAnquandahsaid,
He told the court that investigations indicated that whilst Konadu sold five COVID-10 cards to Asante, at a cost of GH¢500.00, MsSarfo sold four cards to Asante at a cost of GH150.00.”
Chief InspAnquandahsaid Asante sold COVID-19 vaccination cards between GH¢300.00 and GH¢800.00 to individuals, who needed the cards for travelling purposes, but did not want to be vaccinated.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
