Health directorate DG, ADG grilled

The detectives have grilled prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad and prof Dr Nasima Sultana, director general and additional director general of the health directorate over JKG Health Care's COVID-19 test scam.

A team of police's detective branch quizzed them at DGHS on Wednesday afternoon, DB joint commissioner Mahbub Alam told Jago News.

In interrogation, some documents were sought from the duo on permission to JKG Health Care for coronavirus sample collection, Mahbub said. 

Abul Kalam Azad, however, stepped down as DGHS chief on Tuesday amid criticism over his handling of coronavirus pandemic.

JKG Health Care, a non-profit organization, has recently taken government approval to collect sample for coronavirus tests at free of costs but it allegedly took fee up to Tk 5000 per sample. 

Besides, it had been issued fake COVID-19 certificates without conducting test.

Police came to know that JKG Health Care issued 27,000 COVID-19 reports. Out of those, the facility made tested 11,540 samples through ICDCR, and prepared reports of rest 15,460 samples in its Laptop which evidences were found in seized Laptop.

Following allegations, JKG chairman Dr Sabrina Arif Chowdhury and chief executive officer Ariful Haque Chowdhury, also her husband, were arrested.