Three employees of the Ministry of Health, who were allegedly involved in a racket where COVID-19 immunisation cards were offered for sale to unvaccinated persons were yesterday slapped with forgery charges.
Those charged were nurses, Olivia Bonus, 21, and Teneka Pollard 29, both of whom were attached to the Diamond Health Centre, along with a 32-year-old Ministry of Health screening officer, Andel Valentine.
The trio was arraigned in the Diamond Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Judy Latchman and placed on $150,000 bail each.
They were not required to plead to the charges and are expected to return to court on January 20, 2022 for their next hearing.
According to the police, the three accused were arrested on Friday, December 3, by a party of police and charged with the offence of Forgery of Documents with Intent to Defraud the Public, committed on Public Justice, which occurred between Monday, March 1, 2021, and Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, at various vaccination centres on the East Bank of Demerara.
In October, two nurses from Linden, where the inoculation rate is low, were charged for issuing counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination booklets.
Sandrene Chapman, 33, and Anastasia Mckenzie, 27, both nurses attached to the One Mile Health Centre in Wismar, Linden, were charged before Magistrate Wanda Fortune via Zoom in the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
After being read the charges, the nurses were not required to enter a plea and were placed on $200,000 bail each with conditions attached.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony earlier this month had said that since the requirement for persons to present vaccination cards on entry to public buildings, authorities have recorded about 12 to 15 cases of forged vaccination cards that the police were investigating.
The Health Minister also stated that those caught buying these cards will be charged with tendering a forged document.
