Sabrina, Arif blame each other over Covid-19 test scam

The Detective Branch (BD) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said they had interrogated Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury and her husband Arif Chowdhury, and cross checked the information provided by them during interrogations over the Covid-19 test scam.

Both of them continued to blame each other.

Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury, a suspended government surgeon and chairman of JKG Health Care, has denied her involvement in forging Covid-19 certificates during the second phase of the interrogation and repeatedly claimed it was her husband Ariful who was behind the issuing of fake Covid-19 test reports.

She added that their relationship turned sour and that she withdrew herself from JKG and informed it to the officials of the Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS).

Sabrina claimed she had played important roles in obtaining permission from the DGHS for Covid-19 sample collection, but Ariful misused the opportunity and issued fake certificates without conducting tests, said Golam Mostafa Russel, deputy commissioner of DB Tejgaon division.

DB officials claim Sabrina might have concealed some evidence of her involvement after Ariful was arrested on June 23.

Moreover, law enforcers have the information that Sabrina used to exchange text messages with people involved in frauds.

Apart from issuing fake Covid-19 certificates, JKG has also made a good amount of money by providing telemedicine service, for which they were not permitted. The investigators are also enquiring about the matter.

On Friday, a Dhaka court placed Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury on a two-day fresh remand over her alleged involvement in providing fake Covid-19 test certificates.

Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Masudur Rahman granted the remand after the detective branch had produced her before the court following a 3-day remand.

Judge Shahinur Rahman granted 3 days to the police for interrogating Dr Sabrina on July 13, a day after her arrest.

Later, the health ministry suspended her from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) as per Government Service Rule 2018.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission has initiated an enquiry against Sabrina and appointed Selina Akhter Moni, deputy director of the anti-graft body as enquiry officer. Besides, the National Board of Revenue has decided to initiate inquiry against Dr Sabrina.

Ariful is in the second day of his four-day remand while Sabrina's two-day remand will start on Saturday.

JKG Health Care was formed in 2015 as a non-profit organisation.

Investigators said they did not find any documents mentioning that JKG was a sister concern of the Oval Group. JKG had no trade licence when it got permission from the DGHS.

So far, the couple Sabrina and Ariful Islam Chowdhury have been put on remand twice over the Covid-19 certificate forgery.