PCR Test Counterfeiting In Mataram Revealed, The Culprit Is Hospital Employees

MATARAM - Members of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Mataram City Police, West Nusa Tenggara, revealed an alleged forgery of the real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Mataram Police, Kompol Kadek Adi Budi Astawa, said the alleged case of RT-PCR forgery, which is a requirement for complete travel using an airline, originated from the findings of officers at Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport (BIZAM).

"From the inspection, the PCR swab (swab test) letters belonging to 11 passengers were read as invalid by the PeduliLindung application," said Kadek Adi as quoted by Antara, Monday, November 8.

After being investigated, the police obtained the identity of the alleged perpetrator who was known to be an employee at a teaching hospital in Mataram. His initials NL (26) is in charge of the administration.

"So some passengers were swab tested, some were not, but negative results were made. So the test results issued were not based on actual results," he said.

From the examination, NL admitted his actions because there was a request from a friend with the initials BN. To NL, BN asked to immediately carry out a PCR swab test for 16 of his colleagues who wanted to return to West Java via the Jakarta flight route.

As a result, because he was asked to immediately make the results of the PCR swab test, NL then used the print mode without going through the correct procedure.

"So of the people, some did not go through the registration and sampling process, but still received the results," he said. From the PCR swab test, which took place in September 2021, NL received a remittance of Rp. 8.4 million from the price of Rp. 525. thousand per person.

"The perpetrator who is the officer who prints the results of the swab test receives payments directly to his personal account. So the payment does not go into the hospital system," said Kadek Adi.

Based on the results of the case title, it was stated that NL's actions had fulfilled the elements of a criminal violation of Article 263 Paragraph 1 Sub-Article 268 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code regarding Letter Forgery. Therefore, NL has now been named a suspect who faces a maximum imprisonment of six years.

As a suspect, the police confirmed NL's suspicions by confiscating evidence in the form of 11 sheets of fake PCR swab test results, 11 medical records, original PCR swab test certificates, payment receipts, and Rp8.4 million in cash.

"From the available evidence, he did this (criminal) himself," he said.