MELAKA: Just because they did not want to be exempted from receiving the annual bonus payment and subject to disciplinary action, a couple who are also civil servants were willing to buy a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

The couple, aged 33 and 38, who work in the same department, were unfortunately caught by the police. 

Alor Gajah District Police Chief, Superintendent Arshad Abu said, the initial investigation found that the couple bought the certificates for RM500 each through a 58-year-old colleague who acted as a middleman.

The department became suspicious of the couple's MySejahtera application and vaccinated status, so they checked with the Rembia Health Clinic, which is where the couple had allegedly got vaccinated.

The results of the clinic's review later found that both of them had never received any vaccine. So, a police report was made because they had tried to deceived the department. 

Commenting further, he said further investigation found that the couple admitted to buying and downloading fake vaccine certificates through a middleman who was a civil servant in the same department.

He said the couple and their colleague were later arrested last Tuesday around Melaka and the police confiscated all their mobile phones. The police are also hunting down another suspect who is believed to be the seller of the vaccination certificate.

The couple, who are part of the anti-vaccine group, had previously lodged a police report last year regarding their refusal to receive the vaccine injection.

"Further investigation found that the colleague who acted as a middleman had obtained the download of the complete vaccine certificate application for the two fake doses from the suspect who was still at large, nicknamed 'Vnilai'.

"The vaccination certificate can also be used to scan the QR code to enter the business premises and the police are hunting for other suspects suspected to be involved," he said.

He explained that the three suspects were remanded for three days to assist in the investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.