Clinic nurse and owner arrested for selling fake Covid medical certificates

A Kwun Tong clinic operator and a nurse were arrested for selling Covid-19 vaccination medical exemption certificates to patients for HK$800.

It is the first arrest made for such as offence.

The woman in charge of the Kwun Tong clinic, who is not a doctor, and her nurse were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to forgery, after the clinic allegedly sold Covid-19 vaccination exemption certificates to patients.

Officers arrested the 69-year-old clinic operator, surnamed Lee, at a unit in Tuen Mun and the 28-year-old nurse, surnamed Chan, at the Kwun Tong clinic on Wednesday in an operation called "Trumpguard." They are still being detained for further investigation.

But police said they believe a doctor Chan, who owns the clinic, had left Hong Kong in June last year and was not in the city when the certificates were given out.

During the operation, officers also seized 30 similar medical exemption certificates, some payment records, two signature and name stamps of the doctor, two computers, three mobile phones and a check book at the clinic.

Upon initial investigation, officers believed that the clinic has issued hundreds of medical exemption certificates since February, after authorities announced details of the vaccine pass.

Tseung Kwan O police went undercover and approached the doctor surnamed Chan on an instant messaging app, with the officer saying he was in good health but would like to get a medical exemption certificate as he did not want to get the Covid-19 jab. The doctor agreed to issue the certificate and directed the officer to the clinic in Kwun Tong.

After paying HK$800, the officer got the certificate carrying a doctor's name at the clinic on Wednesday. But the officer did not get to see or be consulted by the doctor during the process.

Subsequently, police arrested the 28-year-old nurse at the clinic and the 69-year-old person-in-charge in Tuen Mun. Chan is believed to be the only doctor working at the clinic.

Tsang Chun-kit, assistant district commander (Crime) of Tseung Kwan O District, said the clinic has been operating even after the doctor left Hong Kong last year. "The doctor sometimes conducts online consultations with patients, but based on our current investigation, for cases that are related to the issue of medical exemption certificates, the doctor did not do any online consultation," he said.

Officers said they would pass information to the Medical Council of Hong Kong to see if there is any misconduct involved. But police refused to disclose the background of the doctor.

It is understood that the doctor involved is 46-year-old Chan Hoi-yuk, who was previously ordered for a name removal order from the General Register for three months, suspended for 36 months, after failing to take adequate steps to prevent the publication of promotional and misleading statements in a magazine in 2016.

People convicted of forgery could face 14 years in jail. Citizens who use the false medical exemption certificates could also be subject to up to 14-year imprisonment upon conviction.

Starting from February 24, the vaccine pass is applicable to a list of specified premises, including restaurants, bars, pubs, supermarkets, fitness centers and department stores.

Citizens entering or remaining on specified premises must be vaccinated with at least one dose, unless they are within the exempted groups such as holders of the medical exemption certificate.