Staff Reporter :
A Dhaka court on Monday sent JKG Health Care Chairman Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury, also a government official, on a three-day remand in connection with a case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 test reports.
Judge of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka, Md Shahinur Rahman, passed the order after Hasnat
Khandakar, an Inspector of Tejgaon Police Station and investigation Officer of the case, produced her in the court with a four-day remand prayer.
The IO in the remand prayer said that Dr Sabrina, as Chairman of JKG Health Care, was directly involved with issuing fake Covid-19 test reports. So, she needs to be remanded to find out vital clues about the matter and to know whereabouts of other responsible persons.
Sabrina informed the court that she was no more the Chairman of the organisation and was not involved with such incidents. She appealed to the court to grant her bail, cancelling the remand prayer.
Advocate Saiful Islam Sumon took part in the hearing on behalf of Dr Sabrina, while Assistant Sub Inspector Md Farid Mia, also a General Register Officer for Tejgaon Police Station, appeared for the state.
Mr Saiful Islam said, “Dr Sabrina worked in her husband’s hospital with an innocent mind. But she did not know about JKG’s misdeeds before. If she knew, she would sever the relationship.”
On the other hand ASI Md Farid Mia said, “She worked in the hospital as an ally of her husband. She needs to send on remand for the details.”
At that time Sabrina claimed her innocent. After hearing the parties, the court granted 3-day remand for her.
Police arrested Dr Sabrina on Sunday about three weeks after the scam came to light. Police called Dr Sabrina at Tejgaon Police Deputy Commissioner’s Office around 1:00 pm for interrogation, police said.
“She was called for interrogation. After questioning for three hours, we showed her arrested in the case as she could not give satisfactory answers to the queries of the investigators,” Harun-Ur-Rashid, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division Police told the reporters.
Dr Sabrina was working as a registrar doctor in the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. Although she is working in a government organisation, she gave several interviews to media as the Chairman of JKG Health Care, according to police.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry suspended Sabrina from the post of registrar doctor at the (NICVD) for violating rules.
On June 24, police had arrested her husband and JKG Chief Executive Officer Ariful Chowdhury and four others for their alleged involvement in issuing fake Covid test reports.
Four cases have already been filed with concerned police station against JKG Health Care on various charges including fraudulence. But Sabrina was shown arrested in a case filed with Tejgaon Police Station in June.
Earlier on Saturday, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) cancelled the permission for JKG Health Care to collect samples over allegations of irregularities and corruption.
