COVID-19 vaccination cards: 2nd Health Ministry driver remanded on theft charges

Within four days, two Health Ministry drivers were charged and remanded to prison for allegedly stealing COVID-19 vaccination cards. The latest person to be charged is 31-year-old Mark Samuels of Lot 276 South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The defendant was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.
Samuels pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that between August 22 and August 23, at Brickdam, Georgetown, he broke into the vaccination centre of the Ministry of Health, and stole 66 COVID-19 vaccination cards valued at $1014. His lawyer is Dexter Todd.

During a bail application, the lawyer told the court that his client does not know about the alleged stolen cards since none of them were found on his person or at his home.
However, Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummell stated that during the period mentioned in the charge, a female nurse discovered that the lock on the cupboard in which the vaccination cards were stored was broken. Upon checking, Brummell said that the health worker noticed that the items were missing.
The nurse immediately notified her supervisor and a report was lodged at the Police station. According to the prosecutor, Samuels was caught on CCTV footage entering the vaccination centre. Following investigations, the man was arrested and charged with the present offence.
His next court date is September 27, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Back in 2018, Samuels was charged for fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in diesel from GuyOil.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that between December 12, 2017, and January 7, 2018, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he obtained $1,054,789 in diesel from GuyOil on Regent Street by presenting a cheque in the name of Clyde Fowler, knowing same to be forged.
He was granted $70,000 bail.

Meanwhile, last week Friday, 27-year-olf Avinash Rameshwar, a driver attached to the West Demerara Regional Hospital was remanded to prison for allegedly stealing one dozen COVID-19 vaccination cards.
The Lot 50 Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara resident was arraigned before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court. He was charged with simple larceny as well as forging an official document. He was not required to plead and he was remanded to prison until September 20.
Rameshwar was among the three men arrested by Police last Wednesday after they were caught with 12 blank and unstamped COVID-19 vaccine books, 17 stamped sick leave forms, and several pieces of medical equipment, including a stethoscope, sugar testing kit, and pressure testing kit.
Initially, the suspects were caught with four blank and unstamped COVID-19 vaccine books, but based on investigations, Police ranks went to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where a request was made to conduct a search on minibus PWW 3747, which is usually driven by Rameshwar.
During the search, ranks found seven blue blank COVID-19 books in a compartment between the driver’s and passenger’s seats. This was brought to the suspects’ attention but they bowed their heads and remained silent. The trio was arrested after two of them visited the Vreed-en-Hoop Health Centre, West Coast Demerara, and requested a female nurse to stamp the booklets.
The nurse checked the booklets and observed that they were all blank, and knowing that the men were not supposed to be in possession of same, she immediately brought the issue to the attention of her supervisor, who subsequently reported the matter to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
As a result, the suspects were contacted and arrested at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and were escorted to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
During questioning, Police searched the motor car of one of the men and found a black and gold stethoscope, 17 blank sick leave forms which were all stamped with the West Demerara Regional Hospital stamp, and one COVID-19 book which was not stamped.
Police then went to the suspect’s home where further searches were conducted which unearthed one machine for testing pressure and a machine for sugar testing in his bedroom. He was questioned about the items and he stated that he had purchased them in Georgetown.
However, he could not produce any receipt for them. Police said these items were immediately seized.
Police Headquarters in a subsequent statement said that Rameshwar admitted that he would sometimes uplift the COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Health Ministry in Georgetown and take them to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, during which he took out 12 of the booklets.
Police said further investigations led to a nurse being interviewed, but she denied that the signature in one of the books found in the suspects’ possession belonged to her.

Full brunt of the law
Meanwhile, in light of reports of persons selling and forging COVID-19 vaccination cards, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has issued a stern warning that such persons will face the full brunt of the law. In doing so, he reminded that under Section 240 of the Criminal Offences Act, Chapter 8:01, forgery is an offence.
“…you can be prosecuted for forgery and the fine, if you’re found guilty of forgery, would be up to three years’ imprisonment. And if you forge a vaccination card, you will be liable to this type of punishment if caught. So, I want to encourage people: desist from such practices because when we catch you, you are going to feel the full brunt of the law,” the Health Minister declared.
He went on to say that the punishment, “…goes to the people who have access to the vaccination card and the people who are buying the vaccination card”. (G1)