15 people indicted in Croatia for issuing fake COVID certificates

(Patria) - The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) has completed its investigation and indicted 14 suspects before the Zagreb County Court for bribery in issuing fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

Additionally, one Croatian citizen has been indicted for document forgery.

The suspects are charged with having, from September to November 2021, through an intermediary, requested an authorised person to arrange for the entry of COVID-19 vaccination records in order to obtain COVID certificates for themselves without prior vaccination.

They then provided the intermediary with their personal data necessary for the vaccination entry and amounts ranging from 100 to 500 euros per person.

Afterwards, the intermediary delivered the data and money to a nurse from the Zagreb-Zapad Health Centre so that she could falsely record them as vaccinated, USKOK stated.

In addition, one female defendant is charged with procuring a false document because, with the intention of obtaining a COVID certificate without vaccination, she provided her personal data to the intermediary, who, along with 100 euros, delivered it to the nurse from the Zagreb-Zapad Health Centre.

Subsequently, adds USKOK, the nurse falsely recorded that the defendant had been vaccinated.

Last September, the prosecution launched an investigation against a total of 243 people for bribery related to false COVID-19 vaccination entries, and among the suspects were a number of public figures.

Including today's indictment, USKOK has indicted nine groups with a total of 111 suspects since mid-November.

For bribing an official or responsible person to perform, within or outside the scope of their authority, an official or other act they should not perform, the law prescribes a prison sentence of one to eight years.