Three males aged 24, 42 and 37 are all in custody on an allegation of Simple Larceny committed at the Vreed-en-Hoop Health Centre on Tuesday, August 24th.
The Police are reporting that the men removed four blank, blue COVID-19 Vaccination books, one stethoscope, 17 stamped sick leave forms, Sugar testing kit and Pressure testing kit all the property of the Ministry of Health.
Further, the police enquiries disclosed that a female nurse who is attached to the Vreed-en-Hoop Health Centre was on duty when two of the suspects went to her, one after the other, with two blue blank Covid-19 books each and told her that they wanted her to stamp them.
They went on to tell her that the third suspect is waiting to take them to the Diamond Hospital. The nurse then checked the books and observed that they were all blank and knowing that the suspects were not supposed to be in possession of them, she immediately brought the issue to the attention of her supervisor who subsequently reported the matter to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
The suspects were contacted and arrested at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and were escorted to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
It was during questioning, that the police conducted a search on the motorcar of the third suspect and found one black and gold stethoscope, seventeen blank sick leave forms which were all stamped with the West Demerara Regional Hospital stamp, and one blue covid 19 book which was not stamped bearing the name and address of a person. Police then went to the home of the third suspect (in his presence) and conducted further searches which unearthed one machine for testing pressure and a machine for sugar testing in his bedroom.
He was questioned about the items and he stated that he bought them in Georgetown, but he could not produce any receipt for them. These items were immediately seized. Searches were done at the other two suspects’ homes but nothing of evidential value was found.
The three suspects were all escorted back to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and placed into custody pending further investigation.