A Texas doctor is fervently denying accusations that he has stolen nine Covid-19 vaccine doses claiming that they were about to expire.
Dr. Hasan Gokal has been fired from his work at the Harris County Public Health system after he confessed to a colleague that he stole the jabs.
Gokal, who was deployed at a Humble vaccination site, allegedly robbed the doses on Dec. 29 but did not reveal his acts until a week later.
“He abused his position to place his friends and family in line in front of people who had gone through the lawful process to be there,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
“What he did was illegal and he’ll be held accountable under the law.”
But the doctor’s lawyer Paul Doyle argued that Gokal only wanted to avoid the doses’ expiration.
“Dr. Gokal is a dedicated public servant who ensured that Covid-19 vaccine dosages that would have otherwise expired went into the arms of people who met the criteria for receiving it.”
Doyle added: “Harris County would have preferred Dr. Gokal let the vaccines go to waste and are attempting to disparage this man’s reputation in the process to support this policy. We look forward to our say in court to right this wrong.”
