Police hunt for missing pharmacist

NYAGATARE-Police in Nyagatare are searching for a veterinary pharmacist who is suspected to have disappeared with an unspecified amount of cash belonging to a farmers’ cooperative –Terimbere Mworozi- operating in Karangazi sector. Evaliste Kalinda who was employed by the cooperative only a month ago, allegedly disappeared last Sunday, and his whereabouts are still unknown. According to the cooperative’s president, Eugene Kalisa, Kalinda closed the pharmacy and left the keys behind with a child, saying he was going to the neighbouring Matimba town an act which raised initial suspicion among the cooperative officials. Ever since his disappearance, officials have not been able to contact him through his phone which has been permanently switched off. “At first we thought that maybe he encountered some problems and lost his phone. But after days of searching for him, we suspect that he might have escaped with cash that had been entrusted with him,” Kalisa said. He added that the cooperative management recently checked on their account and found out that Kalinda has not been depositing money to the bank as should have been the case. “We agreed that he will be depositing to the bank the money collected every day. But we have found out that he has not been doing this. Meaning that though we have not established the amount missing we highly suspect that he stole money from the cooperative,” he said, adding that the matter has been reported police. Established in 2005, the cooperative society has 164 members with a paid up capital of Rwf15 million. Ends