Fake Covid-19 certificates: Sabrina, 7 others of JKG indicted

A Dhaka court today framed charges against eight people including JKG Health Care Chairman Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury in a case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 certificates.

The other accused are: Sabrina's husband JKG Chief Executive Officer Ariful Chowdhury, Executive Officer Shafiqul Islam, graphic designer Humayun Kabir Himu and four other employees --Himu's wife Tanzina Patwary, Jebunnesa Rima, Sayeed Chowdhury and Biplob Das.

All the accused including Sabrina claimed themselves innocent and demanded justice after Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sarafuzzzman Ansary read out the charges to them.

Before that, the magistrate rejected the discharge petitions submitted on behalf of the accused.

The court fixed August 27 to start the trial of the case.

Md Liakot Ali, an inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of police and also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, on August 5 submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

In the charge sheet, the IO said, as per direction of Sabrina and Ariful, the other accused collected samples from the patients, prepared fake Covid-19 certificates and supplied those to the patients.

During the investigation, police seized different pieces of evidence including fake Covid-19 certificates issued to different patients.

In the charge sheet, thirty-one people have been made prosecution witnesses.

On June 23, Kamal Hossain, who was given a fake Covid-19 certificate from JKG Health Care, filed the case against Humayun, his wife Tanzina and several unknown people with Tejgaon Police Station in this regard.

The following day, police arrested the couple and three others including Ariful Chowdhury.

All the five including Ariful were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka the same day.

Of them, Humayun and his wife Tanzina gave confessional statements before a magistrate, narrating their role in issuing fake Covid-19 certificates.

Following their confessional statements, police arrested four more accused, including Dr Sabrina on different dates.

Another accused, Shafiqul Islam, gave a confessional statement before a Dhaka magistrate.

Following the arrest of Sabrina, the health ministry suspended her from the post of registrar at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases for violating rules.