Sunyani, Aug 20, – Five people yesterday appeared before the Brong Ahafo Regional Tribunal in Sunyani for allegedly forging the trademark of a Kumasi-based drug manufacturing factory, Bikkai Chemistry. The accused are alleged to have manufactured quantities of fake Supervitone syrup for which Bikkai Chemistry is the sole manufacturer. They are Kwaku Kyeremateng, Osei Nimako, Richard Smith, Richard Forson and Dapaa Mensah. Their pleas were not taken and they were each granted one million cedis bail with one surety to be justified to re-appear on September five. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Eric Baidoo said the complainant, Nana Kwabena Osei Agyeman, production manager of Bikkai Chemistry, reported to the police that he has received information that some chemical stores at Sunyani were selling fake Supervitone syrup. When a search was mounted, 63 bottles of the drug were found in two chemical stores at Sunyani. Chief Inspector Baidoo said when the owners of the two chemical stores were questioned they mentioned Kyeremateng as the one who supplied the drugs to them. The police arrested Kyeremateng who also mentioned Nimako as the manufacturer of the drug and when Nimako’s room was searched, 80 bottles of the fake Supervitone syrup were found under his bed. He said Nimako admitted manufacturing the drug and mentioned Smith, Forson and Mensah, all employees of Bikkai Chemistry as those who assisted him to acquire the labels of the syrup and other chemicals for manufacturing it. Chief Inspector Baidoo said Nimako also admitted distributing some of the drug to chemical stores in the Sefwi area of the western region.
