Dr Sabrina, Arif among 8 indicted in JKG Health Care scam
The court fixed August 27 for taking testimony of witnesses
A Dhaka court on Thursday framed charges against eight people, including JKG Health Care Chairman Dr Sabrina Chowdhury, in a fraud case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 test reports.
Thus, the court started a formal trial against the accused by forming the charges.
At the same time, the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarafuzzaman Ansari fixed August 27 for taking the testimony of witnesses.
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The other accused are Dr Sabrina's husband JKG Chief Executive Officer Ariful Haque Chowdhury, his associate Saeed Chowdhury, Humayun Kabir and his wife Tanzina Patwari, executive officer Shafiqul Islam, proprietor of the company's trade licence Jebunnesa Rima, Biplab Das and Mamunur Rashid.
All the eight accused are now in jail. They were produced in the court from the jail. On behalf of the accused, their lawyers held a hearing seeking acquittal. A hearing was also held by the state in favour of the charge sheet.
After the hearing from both the sides, the court wanted to know whether the accused are guilty or innocent.
The accused pleaded not guilty and prayed for justice. The court then ordered the formation of charges against them.
On June 15, a man named Kamal Hossain filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on the charge of issuing fake reports of coronavirus tests.
On August 5, the detective branch of police filed the charge sheet against the eight accused in the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
The charge sheet mentions Sabrina and Arif as masterminds. The rest have helped them commit fraud and forgery.
JKG Healthcare issued reports to 27,000 people in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, without collecting samples for coronavirus tests.
Most of the reports have been found fake. The company was raided on June 23 and sealed off. Later, a case was filed against them with Tejgaon Police Station.
