Hearing of case against JKG’s Sabrina, Ariful adjourned till 15 Dec

A Dhaka court on Tuesday adjourned till 15 December the hearing in a case lodged over issuing fake coronavirus test reports against eight people including JKG Healthcare chairman Sabrina Arif Chowdhury and her husband Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

The court of Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Sadbir Yasir Ahsan Chowdhury passed the order as two new prosecution witnesses testified in the case today, reports news agency BSS.

Sirajul Islam and Hajera Begum today testified in the case and were cross-examined by the defence afterwards. The plaintiff of the case works as caretaker in the house of these two witnesses.

The court on 20 August framed charges against the eight accused in the case.

The other six accused are -- Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, Humayun Kabir Himu, Tanjila Patwari, Biplob Das, Shafikul Islam Romeo and Jebunnesa.

Investigation agency detective branch (DB) of police on 5 August filed charge sheet in the case.

The investigation officer (IO) and DB inspector Liakat Ali in the charge sheet accused physician Sabrina and JKG CEO Ariful of being the masterminds behind the scam and the others as their cohorts.

One Kamal Hossain filed the case with Tejgaon police station on 15 June for issuing fake COVID-19 test reports.

JKG Healthcare run by Ariful and his wife physician Sabrina, was realising money from the suspected patients for coronavirus test, though the company had signed a deal with the government to conduct the test free of cost.