By Prior Beharry
A 52-year-old Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) employee has been charged with forgery of immunization cards with intent to deceive.
Terry Garib, of Mt Stewart Village, Princes Town, was placed on $150,000 bail and was ordered to surrender his passport as part of his bail conditions.
He was not called upon to plead as the charge was laid indictably by PC Jagroop of the San Fernando Police Station.
The URP worker appeared before Magistrate Armina Mohammed Deonarinesingh.
Garib is also a former candidate for the People’s National Movement (PNM) for Reform/Manahambre in the 2016 local government elections.
He will reappear before the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court on September 14.
According to police, the incident arose out of a report made by security personnel at the San Fernando General Hospital who observed that Garib was allegedly distributing immunization cards concerning Covid-19 vaccinations to persons hired by him to prepare same.
During the course of the investigation, detectives allegedly discovered that a man used a template of a genuine Covid-19 immunization card to make the cards.
He was later seen distributing the fake cards, police claimed.
The suspect was also reportedly found to be in possession of a stamp which bore the words “The Ministry of Health” and which originated from the Ste Madeleine Health Facility.
