Regent hospital scam: PRO confesses to knowing about fake Covid-19 certificates

Regent Group Public Relations Officer (PRO) Tariqul Islam alias Tareq Shibli today confessed to a magistrate that he along with other officials and employees, in line with the directives of its chairman and managing director, made fake Covid-19 certificates and supplied those to patients.

"I knew all the matters of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and charging patients for the test and treatment despite having an agreement with the government to do it free of cost," Shibli said in his confessional statement.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid recorded his statement after Md Nazmul Haque, an assistant superintendent of police of Rab-1 and also the investigation officer of the case, brought him at his chamber.

After recording his statement, the magistrate sent Shibli to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, according to court sources.

Shibli also told the magistrate that the fake Covid-19 certificates were made at Regent Hospital and then were supplied to patients after taking money from them and that the hospital has been doing this since March.

Later, a bill of Tk 1.96 crore was submitted to the Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) on June 1, as per directives of the chairman and the managing director, Shibli confessed before the magistrate.

Tareq Shibli was arrested on July 9 from East Nakhalpara area in Dhaka and later, he was placed on a five-day remand. On completion of the remand, he was again placed on a seven-day remand on July 16.

Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed was arrested from Satkhira when he was trying to leave the country while Managing Director Masud Pavez was arrested from Gazipur on July 14.

They were placed on 10-day remands on July 16 and now are on remand in Rab custody.

Seven other accused were also sent to jail after they were interrogated during a five-day remand.

The court also rejected a bail petition of another 17-year-old accused and sent him to Tongi Children Correctional Centre as the IO did not submit any remand prayer for him.

In the early hours of July 8, Inspector Zulhas Mia of Rapid Action Battalion-1 filed the case with Uttara West Police Station against Regent Group Chairman Md Shahed, its MD Masud Parvez and 15 others.