Six accused in illegal prescription scheme released

Three pharmacists accused in an alleged illegal prescription scheme were released without conditions following their testimonies on Wednesday. Meanwhile, three other defendants in the case were released under restrictions, including a €5,000 bail, mandatory police station check-ins and a travel ban.

The defendants, who face charges of aggravated drug trafficking, money laundering, false certification, fraud, forgery, and participation in a criminal organization, have denied all allegations against them.

They are accused of issuing illegal prescriptions amounting to €47,000 since 2019. The investigating judge has already pressed charges against three more doctors and 14 pharmacists.

According to sources, the accused doctor argued that out of the 22 prescriptions attributed to him, 20 were originally issued by other doctors for chronic illnesses. “I had no way of verifying whether the identification documents presented by those appearing as patients were genuine,” he allegedly stated.

The three pharmacists reportedly explained that they are legally obligated to process digital prescriptions without the patient’s physical presence.

The Egyptian national also denied the allegations, claiming that most of the money found in his bank account belonged to compatriots whom he was assisting in buying out their military service.

AA