A Larnaca cardiologist suspected of issuing fake Covid-19 vaccine certificates has been called to testify in Larnaca Criminal Court, it was announced on Monday.
The doctor, now 55, had issued fake vaccination certificates to two patients in 2021, who then had died from Covid-19.
In its interim decision on Monday, the court said that there is a prima facie case against the 55-year-old.
Therefore, the court invited the doctor to testify on December 7.
The judge said that the court rejected the hearsay testimony of the two patients who later died. However, the doctor has been called to testify as there is testimony from two other witnesses that is being evaluated.
The persons who gave them are Dr Amalia Hadjiiyianni, the scientific director of the Famagusta general hospital, which was a reference hospital at the time of the dispute, and the father of one of the two deceased patients.
The 55-year-old doctor was arrested on August 6, 2021, and in December of the same year he was charged with 12 serious charges of conspiracy to defraud, drafting and circulating a fake official document, and submitting information under false pretences, and false entries in records or other documents of the Health Insurance Organisation.
The suspect was remanded in custody twice before he was released pending a police investigation.
His arrest came after the family of a 41-year-old filed a police complaint that he had been issued a fake vaccination certificate.
The man’s father said he was informed that his son, who later died from coronavirus, had admitted to medical and nursing staff at the hospital that he had obtained the fake document issued by his GP.
After checks, it was found that the 41-year-old was registered in the Gesy system as having received the vaccine, which was administered by the suspect.
A nurse told police she had asked the man whether he had received the jab before he was intubated.
Another man, allegedly issued with a fake vaccination certificate, also died.
The doctor denied the charges back then filed to the Larnaca District Court.
He was listed as having administered coronavirus vaccines to 102 people, 47 of whom gave statements to the police.