COVID-19 latest: Bus company staff suspended for sale of fake tests

Bus company staff has been suspended after an investigation by the Daily Maverick revealed that fake COVID-19 tests are sold to passengers travelling to neighbouring countries from Johannesburg Park Station.

In an interview with Cape Talk Radio, investigative reporter Patrick Egwu revealed that a friend who works in Zimbabwe had tipped him off about the sale of fake Covid-19 tests for just R300. He decided to go under cover to investigate the claim.

BUS COMPANY STAFF SUSPENDED FOR SELLING FAKE COVID-19 TESTS

Luqmaan Kroet, Director of Luqmaan Logistics told Daily Maverick that the implicated staff member has been suspended with immediate effect and an investigation has been launched.

Kroet said that the suspended worker is a casual worker who moved to the company’s South African office after the Zimbabwe office had been temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

“We will fully cooperate with the police on anything because we have nothing to hide. We are not part of the scam and we don’t know what is going on. At the end of the day, nobody is above the law and we want to assist in whichever way we can.”

“Whoever is involved would be immediately dismissed after the investigations because it is a serious crime; we are dealing with Covid-19 here and so it is a very serious offence and we are not leaving it like that. So we are taking immediate action. The police will decide whether the person is guilty or not, but we will allow them to do their work,” Kroet said. “If a crime is committed, the law must take its course. That is very important because nobody is above the law and we cannot allow this to happen.”

IMPLICATED COMPANIES DISTANCE THEMSELVES

In his report, Egwu revealed that a staff member suspended from the company, Bongani (surname not disclosed), collected R400 and issued a fake COVID-19 test result to him without receipts or samples taken for the lab test. Staff from Luqmaan Logistics and Falcon Coaches were paid for the COVID-19 tests.

Makoma Lindiwe Sekhala, a director of Falcon Coaches, told Daily Maverick she was not aware of the sale of COVID-19 tests by the company’s staff.

Joshua Fisher, CEO of Neuberg Global Laboratories, said the fake result had nothing to do with them.

“What these guys do is that they get some documentation of ours, put our logo and then all the details about the lab and test are not ours. They just cut and paste and then issue you with that result.”

Kroet said the sale of fake COVID-19 test results had been reported to the South African Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, South African Bus Operators’ Association, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa and the head of security and intelligence at Park Station.

Luqmaan Logistics reported the matter at the Johannesburg Central Police Station and the company said that the police have escalated the matter to the commercial crimes department.

READ: Covid-19 Test Latest: Journalist’s investigation uncovers fake tests