JKG provided 1,925 fake Covid-19 certificates: DB

Officials investigating the case against JKG Health Care have found that the organisation was running without registration and had provided more than 1,925 fake Covid-19 certificates without conducting any tests.

The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has almost completed its investigation and is preparing to press charges against JKG CEO Ariful Islam Chowdhury, his wife Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury and some other officials within a few days.

DMP Additional Commissioner Abdul Baten disclosed this at a press briefing on Thursday.

Investigators have completed forensic tests of the seized laptops and other devices in the chemical examination lab of the Criminal Investigation Department. They have collected "concrete evidence of certificate forgery," he added.

JKG had collected 13,585 samples and information on 11,660 of those was stored in its computer system, Baten said.

The investigation revealed that 1,925 Covid-19 certificates were provided without conducting any tests. Those certificates were prepared by merely observing symptoms of people, the officer said, adding that JKG used to send these fabricated reports to people through a fake email server.

Baten said JKG is not a registered company and it does not have any valid documents, or even a board of directors.

Arif and Sabrina used to introduce themselves as different post holders of JKG Health Care. Arif used to identify himself as CEO in most cases and as the chairman when required. Sabrina also used to claim herself as the chairman and sometimes as the convener, the investigators said.

In fact, JKG obtained a trade licence from the city corporation two months after signing the agreement with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). But it was not registered under the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, police added.

The certificate forgery case was filed with the Tejgaon police station on June 23 against six people, including Ariful Islam Chowdhury. Police then arrested Ariful and five other current and former employees of the organisation on the same day. 

Sabrina's involvement in the forgery was mentioned in their accounts and she was arrested on July 12.

Sabrina, also a cardiac surgeon at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, and her husband were remanded in two phases. 

Asked how a fake organisation like JKG was allowed to conduct coronavirus tests and which DGHS officials were involved with this process, Baten said the findings had been submitted to the higher authorities. 

"The DGHS is a government institution and in accordance with the government rules, the health ministry will take departmental action against those involved," the officer added.