Pharmacist Kanyika convicted, fined K150,000
By Pride Nyirenda in Mufulira
THE Mufulira magistrates court has sentenced United Party for National Development (UPND) supporter and renowned pharmacist Jerome Kanyika to five months imprisonment for illegal importation of medical drugs.
The court convicted Kanyika of the charge and ordered him to pay K150,000 or in default serve five months.
The court found Kanyika guilty of importing cholera medical products into the country without authorisation from the Zambia Medicines and Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA).
The magistrate said the importation of drugs without the authorisation by ZAMRA breached established regulatory and medical safety requirements.
It ordered that if Kanyika failed to pay the fine, he would serve five months’ imprisonment.
During the trial, the defence argued that the drugs were imported under Zango Healthcare Limited, a registered company, and not in Kanyika’s personal capacity.
However, the court ruled that a director can be held personally liable for offences committed through a company, even if the company itself was not charged, in line with the Medicines and Allied Substances Act No. 3 of 2013.
