Approximately 240 persons are investigated for being directly or indirectly involved in the scams to falsify COVID-19 vaccination certificates for money. Some of the applicants were abroad when the certificate was issued, IPN reports.

Officers of the Internal Protection and Anticorruption Service of the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, carried out a number of searches in the criminal cases started over active and passive corruption, influence peddling, falsification of public documents and over possession, sale and use of official documents. The suspects include public functionaries, Customs Service officers, representatives of public authorities, legal entities and private individuals.

The fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates were issued for sums varying from 2,000 to 5,000 lei apiece.

As a result of searches, a service member holding an executive post at the General Carabineer Inspectorate of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who was designated as registrar in charge of COVID-19 vaccination records, was arrested. He admitted his quilt and cooperates with the investigation body. A number of suspects have been questioned so far and they are also cooperative.

Those involved in scams face a fine of 32,500 lei, 150 to 200 hours of community service or a maximum jail term of seven years.