The Parliamentary Health committee chairperson, Dr Micheal Bukenya has directed the Police leadership to provide details of cases of fake Hepatitis B vaccines in the market.
This was after the committee noted that AIGP, Edward Ochom who is in charge of research and planning and the Director for Criminal Investigations AIGP, Grace Akullo and other police officers had failed to give evidence of cases police is handling since the news of the fake vaccines being used in private health facilities.
Bukenya told Ochom who represented the Inspector General of Police, Okoth Ochola that the National Drug Authority made complaints that the Police have failed to effectively follow up on cases of fake drugs.
However, Ochom instead told the committee that the inadequate punishments for those found culpable of selling the unauthentic vaccines arises from the NDA Act which he said has very light sentences which makes it a weak law.
“The issue is with the NDA Act, it leaves a lot of descration to the presiding Judicial officer to determine the punishment given to the culprit given that the sentence is as well as a lighter one,” Ochom said.
The legislators reminded him that there were no complaints against Judges but rather the poor handling of the cases by the Police. Ochom later asked Akullo to take on the lead and explain to the members.
Akullo as well refered the matter to the immediate Investigative Officer, Tinka Byarugaba who also failed to give a satisfying response.
Byarugaba appeared to be instead reading off a report that the committee had previously compiled.
Due to frustration of several MPs including Kasambya county MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa and Butembo County MP Pentagon Innocent, Bukenya asked the Police officers to return with more details next week on Tuesday.
