Three staff of Makerere University have been remanded to Kitalya and Kigo prisons respectively for forging COVID-19 test result certificates.
Emmanuel Kawalya, a samples collector at Makerere University hospital, Gideon Nsubuga, a laboratory technologist/molecular biologist at Makerere University college of health sciences, Dafala Kezimbira, an information technologist also at the College of Health Sciences and Justine Nasonko, a businesswoman from Nasser road in Kampala appeared before Buganda Road Court Grade One magistrate, Gladys Kamasanyu last week on charges of doing an act that is likely to spread infectious disease and forgery.
Court heard that between the months of September and October 2020 while in Kampala, the accused persons unlawfully and negligently issued negative COVID-19 results to people who had tested positive well knowing that their actions are likely to cause the spread of an infectious disease.
The prosecution alleges that during October, the accused with intentions of defrauding or deceiving made false COVID-19 test result certificates for four people purporting that they had been genuinely issued by the Ministry of Health/Makerere University college of
health sciences whereas not.
The said negative COVID-19 certificates were allegedly issued to Al Noumani Muhammed Said Khaila, James Bernard Walusimbi, Irene Namubiru, and Milliam Zawadi despite testing positive for COVID-19. While appearing before the magistrate, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to Kitalya and Kigo prisons until November 3 as investigations continue.
Last week, twenty-three people were intercepted at Entebbe airport by Aviation Police after being found with forged negative COVID-19 certificates.
Last month, the Government of Uganda decided to resume operations at the Entebbe international airport after a six-month closure. All travelers were required to present negative COVID-19 test results issued seventy-two hours before the date of travel.
This was one of the preventative measures set by Ministry of Health to avoid the spread of the deadly Corona virus disease.
