PIMS female medico-legal officer, two others arrested for issuing fake certificates

A team of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle has conducted a sting operation at the medico-legal office of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and arrested a female medico-legal officer, a clerk and a ward master on charges of issuing fake medico-legal certificates (MLCs) and accepting bribes, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The arrested PIMS employees were accused of taking bribes in exchange for fake MLCs, which were used to facilitate the filing of false cases.

The FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad’s team registered a case after an undercover operation.

An FIA official approached the PIMS employees for obtaining a fake medico-legal certificate as a complainant. During the operation, Rs50,000 was allegedly given as advance bribe.

Sources in the FIA said the Agency arrested the two employees during the operation and the female medic--legal officer was taken into custody later.

Two male employees were sent to FIA physical remand for interrogation while the investigation while the female medico-legal officer was sent to jail on judicial remand.

The female officer is also posted as Deputy Director Evening at the PIMS.

Following the FIA ​​raid on the medico-legal office of PIMS Hospital, the PIMS administration has confirmed the arrest of three employees and sent a report of the incident to the Ministry of National Health.

According to the report, the FIA ​​conducted a trap raid at the medico-legal office on July 21 and made the arrests about which the PIMS Executive Director sent a report to the Ministry of National Health.

The PIMS administration indicated action against the arrested officers as per the law, recommending to the Ministry of Health to suspend the female doctor/

The suspension of the female doctor was declared an administrative action under the service rules after the FIR was register following her arrest.

Suspension should not be considered as evidence of the female officer's guilt, the PIMS officials made it clear, saying the professional record of the female officer is spotless and the reputation is good.

The female officer is honest, hardworking and professionally respectable, the sources at the PIMS revealing, saying she was wrongly implicated in the case.

All three accused will be presumed innocent till charges are proven in court, the PIMS officials said.

The FIA has registered a case against the accused on various charges including forgery and cheating under sections 420, 468, 471 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 has also been included in the case against the accused.

If the charges against the female officer are proven false, legal assistance will be provided, the PIMS officials said.

The final determination of the facts of the case will be made after the court proceedings, the PIMS officials added.

Reporters Tayyab Saif and Babar Shahzad Turk