Man fined GH¢3,600 for forging COVID-19 test certificates

The Kaneshie District Court in Accra has sentenced an employee of Satguru Travel and Tours Agency, Soni Manoj to a fine of GH¢3,600 for forging and faking some COVID-19 test certificates.

The prosecution of the convict was instigated by LEDing Medical Laboratory whose COVID-19 test results design layout was forged by Soni Manoj for some Indian expatriates departing Ghana.

According to brief facts of the case presented to the court during trial by Chief Inspector William Osei, the Financial Director of LEDing Medical Laboratory sometime in March 2021, made a complaint to the police upon detecting that some travellers of Indian nationality who had arrived at the airport for departure formalities were in possession of fake LEDing Medical Laboratory negative-status COVID-19 test certificates.

Upon questioning, the travellers mentioned that their test certificates had been facilitated by the travel and tour agency that handled their flight bookings, Satguru Travel & Tour Agency, located in Accra. Police investigations led to the arrest of Soni Manoj, who was employed by the said Satguru Travel & Tour Agency, as the source of the fake certificates.

The convict was subsequently arrested and during interrogation, claimed in his cautioned statement that he was in his office when one “Alex” walked in and introduced himself as a marketing officer for a medical laboratory.

Alex, according to Manoj, claimed he could take samples from individuals and groups for COVID-19 tests and that based on this information, he (Manoj) also directed him to the residence of the Indians to take samples for the tests. Later, as Manoj claimed, Alex brought the test results to him and he also forwarded it together with flight tickets booked by his employer, Satguru Travel & Tours Agency, to the Indian travelers.

“However, the accused could not lead police to the residence or office of suspect Alex. Accused person admitted the offence and was charged with the appropriate offences and arraigned before this honorable court,” Detective C/Inspr William Osei concluded in his presented case facts to the Court.

Charged with three counts of uttering forged documents and three other counts of possessing forged documents, the suspect pleaded guilty and was subsequently sentenced on his own plea.

Lawyers for the convict made a plea to the presiding judge to temper justice with mercy.

The presiding judge, His Worship Oheneba Kuffour during sentencing, noted the malicious nature of the offence committed by the convict which had brought a lot of mistrust amongst some persons in society to the test results from otherwise reputable businesses and facilities such as LEDing Medical Laboratory.

The judge thus imposed a fine of 300 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢3,600.00 on the convict.