Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited (TPL) and its Group Chairman, Elder Dr Samuel Amo Tobbin, have been exonerated from allegations of importing counterfeit drugs into Ghana. The High Court in Accra, presided over by Her Ladyship Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, delivered the verdict on 29 July 2024, which refutes the earlier claims made by former Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni.
The legal dispute began on 19 July 2019, when Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited initiated a lawsuit against the FDA, alleging misuse of authority and seeking compensation for the damages incurred. A statement from TPL released on 11 August confirms this outcome.
The controversy originated between September and December 2013, when Dr Opuni accused Tobinco Pharmaceuticals of importing counterfeit drugs. The FDA’s actions included sealing Tobinco’s warehouses nationwide, leading to significant reputational damage and financial losses due to product expirations. Additionally, the FDA’s prohibition of Bliss GVS Pharma Limited, Tobinco’s key business partner at the time, from exporting to Ghana resulted in further product confiscations.
The situation intensified when Dr Opuni reported Elder Dr Tobbin to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), leading to his arrest on 2 December 2013, and subsequent detention at the Nima Police Station. Earlier, on 13 September 2013, Elder Dr Tobbin and his associate, Mr Kamath, were intercepted and detained by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now known as the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), for nearly a full day without formal charges.
Following a protracted legal battle spanning a decade, Elder Dr Tobbin has been vindicated, with the court ruling in his favour and dismissing all allegations against him.
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