Ivory Coast busts gang forging Covid test certificates

Thu, 13 May 2021

Ivory Coast busts gang forging Covid test certificates

News24
05 May 2021, 04:11 GMT+10

Ivory Coast has arrested around a dozen people, including three nurses, on suspicion of selling fake negative Covid-19 test certificates to air travellers, police sources told AFP on Tuesday.

"These people issued fake certificates for the price of 45 000 (CFA) francs (68 euros, 82 dollars) each to passengers leaving from Abidjan airport," a source said, requesting anonymity.

"Three nurses and around 10 other people" were detained on suspicion of participating in the scheme, another source said.

The detainees used a computer application enabling them to modify names on genuine Covid-19 certificates issued by the local Pasteur Institute and to copy the signature of its director, Professor Mireille Dosso.

Accomplices at the airport allegedly aided the gang by waving through passengers who had bought the fake certificates without scrutiny, the source said.

Ivory Coast has so far been largely spared the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of Monday, the west African nation has registered 287 deaths and 46 000 cases, out of a population of 25 million.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Sierra Leone Times.

More Information

26 ℃

Mostly Cloudy in Seletar

Business

Section

U.S. TSA says 1.6 million travel thru airports in single day high

WASHINGTON D.C.: Some 1.6 million passengers passed through U.S. airports on May 6, the largest number since March 2020.According to ...

Huge sell-of U.S. stocks continues, Dow plunges 682 points

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks shattered on Wednesday, for the second day in a row as U.S. Labor ...

Free Covid shots at Empire State, Central Park for returning tourists

NEW YORK CITY, New York: To encourage the return of tourists, New York City will be offering Covid vaccines at ...

Cautious opening of UK approaches; restaurants, pubs to serve indoors

LONDON, England: The new easing of Covid restrictions will allow the British public to be served inside pubs and even ...

Stocks drop as Australia vows to keep borders closed to mid-2022

SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - Continued concern over inflation kept investors at bay in Japan and Australia on Wednesday, although sharemarkets ...

Spread of Covid halts Amazon's Prime Day sale in India

SEATTLE, Washington: Ecommerce giant Amazon.com has halted its Prime Day sale held yearly in India, according to its spokesperson on ...

Africa

Section

2 Killed as Sudanese Protesters Mark 2nd Anniversary of Raid

KHARTOUM, SUDAN - The Sudanese army killed two protesters and wounded 16 others Tuesday night in Khartoum on the two-year ...

Moon not sighted, Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Friday - MJC

Hundreds of Muslims gathered in Cape Town on Wednesday night for the official sighting of the moon.Moulana Abdul Khaliq Allie ...

Facebook is coming to Parliament, DA says

Facebook representatives will appear before Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies on 25 May, the DA said in ...

Ghana's road traffic problems have deep and spreading roots

Much has been written about the crashes, congestion and pollution on Ghana's roads. Road injury is among the top 10 ...

Austria's Schwab puts US PGA pain behind him at British Masters

Matthias Schwab set the early pace in the British Masters with a six-under-par 66 in the first round at The ...

Virgin Active win a ?dangerous precedent? for British landlords

A UK judged ruled that Virgin Active in the country can wipe out the rent arrears on most of its ...

Movie Review

C.H.U.D.