Fake Doctor's Signature Creates COVID-19 Free Antigen Letter, 2 West Bangka CPNS Persons Become Suspects

West Bangka Police Chief AKBP Agus Siswanto. (Photo: ANTARA)

BANGKA BELITUNG - The West Bangka Resort Police, Bangka Belitung Islands Province has named 2 suspects in the case of counterfeiting a COVID-19 free antigen certificate. Both officers were arrested at Tanjungkalian Port on Wednesday, July 7 last.

"The two perpetrators who were arrested are currently still in the detention room of the Mentok Police and both of them have been named as suspects in this case," said West Bangka Police Chief AKBP Agus Siswanto in Mentok as quoted by Antara, Monday, July 12

The two suspects are prospective civil servants serving in West Bangka Regency. Each had the initials HP (33) a resident of Banyuasin, and RJ (36) a resident of OKU, South Sumatra.

The arrest of the two perpetrators began with the suspicion of joint officers who verified the COVID-19 free certificate at Tanjungkalian Port, Mentok.

At that time, the officers suspected the rapid antigen letter brought by the perpetrators of fake cellphones and made arrests for questioning.

"At first the officers were suspicious because the certificate was different from usual, the paper was rough and the pictures or letterhead were not colored like the real thing," the police chief added.

The suspect was subsequently arrested and questioned for further information. Based on the perpetrator's confession, he was forced to use a fake certificate when he was about to cross to Tanjung Api Api, Palembang for fear of undergoing a swab test that requires plugging his nose.

From the results of the examination, the officer confirmed to the hospital to ensure the validity of the certificate brought by the cellphone.

The management of Sejiran Setason Hospital felt that they did not issue the certificate brought by the perpetrator and the doctor listed in the letter also felt that he did not sign it.

From the results of the examination, the police then developed and arrested RJ (36) who played a role in making the seal bearing the Sejiran Setason Hospital logo and falsifying the doctor's signature.

Head of the West Bangka Police Criminal Investigation Unit, AKP Robby Setiadi Purba, explained that in this case RJ acted as a forger of documents, signatures and forgers of stamps bearing the Sejiran Setason Hospital logo.

"Against the two suspects suspected of violating Article 263 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, the threat is a maximum of 6 years in prison," he said.

In this case, the police confiscated several pieces of evidence, including a fake antigen swab, a laptop, a printer and a stamp bearing the Sejiran Setason Hospital logo.

Two of the perpetrators had been swab tested before being detained, and from the results of the officer's examination, both of them tested positive for COVID-19. For the time being, the two perpetrators were isolated in the detention room of the Mentok Police, which happened to be empty.