A pharmacist and owner of the Darliston Pharmacy in Westmoreland, has found himself in trouble with the law after being accused of scamming the National Health Fund (NHF) of over $27m.

Ainsworth Reynolds, of a Llandilo, Phase 4 address, is charged with forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy. He appeared before Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The allegations, as outlined in court are that between March 2006 and December 2009, the accused, was contracted by NHF to dispense drugs. It is alleged that he used the cards of some customers to make fraudulent claims on the NHF's account.

expensive medications

It is alleged that the pharmacist also created fictitious prescriptions in the names of some customers and claimed that these had been done by doctors, and then claimed for the cost of these prescriptions. It is reported that he added expensive medications to these prescriptions in order to increase the amount of the claims.

It is further alleged that the accused signed all the receipts generated by these transactions. The investigating officer told the court that the police had so far collected statements from patients disputing the claims that were reportedly made in their names, as well as from doctors who are doing the same.

Reynolds' attorney, told the court that his client was a good candidate for bail as he would not abscond and had no previous convictions. The court was also told that the accused had reimbursed the NHF $5m so far.

Reynolds was granted $10m bail with one or two sureties, ordered to have his fingerprints taken and told to surrender his travel documents. A stop-order was also issued. The accused is to report to the Sav-la-Mar Police Station every day between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The matter returns to court on March 30.