Fake Covid-19 certificates: lower court asked to give relevant documents to Dr Sabrina’s lawyers

The High Court today directed the lower court concerned to provide JKG Healthcare Chairman Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury's lawyers with the relevant documents based on which a case is running against her over issuing fake Covid-19 certificates allegedly by her organisation.

The HC ordered the Metropolitan Magistrate Court-19 of Dhaka to give the documents so that Dr Sabrina's lawyers can examine them and defend her before the court, her lawyer SaifuzzamanTuhin told The Daily Star today.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order following a petition filed by Sabrina, seeking necessary orders.

Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state.

Lawyer Saifuzzaman said Dr Sabrina had submitted an application to the magistrate court concerned requesting it to provide her lawyers with the relevant documents based on which the case was filed against her.

But, the trial court rejected her application on August 20.

Then Sabrina filed a petition with the HC challenging the lower court's rejection order.

In the petition, Sabrina sought a stay on the trial proceedings of the case against her, Saifuzzaman said.

On July 12 this year, police arrested Dr Sabrina, wife of JKG Health Care Chief Executive Ariful Chowdhury, who was arrested earlier in the same case.

Md Kamal Hossain, a resident of Mirpur area in Dhaka, filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on June 23 on charges of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates by JKG Healthcare.

Dr Sabrina was working as a registrar doctor in the National Heart Institute and Hospital. Although she was working in a government organisation, she gave several interviews to media as the chairman of JKG Health Care, according to police.

She, however, denied her post as JKG Chairman after the scam came to light, police said.

Meanwhile, the health ministry the same day (July 12) suspended Dr Sabrina in connection with the case.

On June 24, police arrested Dr Sabrina's husband Ariful and four others from Dhaka for allegedly delivering fake coronavirus test reports without carrying out any test.