Seven Regent Hospital employees remanded in a case filed over fake COVID-19 certificates

A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed seven Regent Hospital employees on a five-day remand in a case filed over their alleged involvement in issuing fake COVID-19 test certificates.

Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Shadbir Yeasir Ahsan Chowdhury passed the order during a virtual hearing after inspector Md Alamgir Gazi of Uttara East police station and also investigation officer of this case, produced the accused before the court seeking a seven-day remand, reports UNB.

The accused are -- Md Ahasan Habib, admin officer of Regent Hospital, Md Ahsan Habib Hasan, X-ray technician, Hatim Ali, medical technologist, Rakibul Islam Sumon, project admin of Regent Hospital head office, Amit Banik, HR admin manager of head office, Abdus Salam, driver of head office, and Abdur Rashid Khan, executive officer of head office.

Meanwhile, the court also sent a 17-year-old accused to Tongi juvenile correction centre.

A case was filed against 16 people including the managing director and chairman of Regent Hospital for their alleged involvement in issuing fake COVID-19 test certificates.

RAB’s inspector Faisal filed the case at Uttara West police station on Tuesday night, officer-in-charge of the police station, Tapan Chandra Saha told UNB on Wednesday.

Earlier, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) sealed off the head office of Regent Group and its hospital in the city’s Uttara after they were found involved in issuing fake COVID-19 test certificates and collecting money from COVID-19 patients.

A mobile court of the elite force conducted drives at the head office of the group and the Uttara branch of its hospital separately on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, RAB also conducted separate drives at the Uttara and Mirpur branches of Regent Hospital and arrested eight people for issuing fake COVID-19 test certificates and collecting money from COVID-19 patients.