Managers of LEDing Medical Laboratory, one of Ghana’s accredited Covid-19 testing centres, have denied a media report suggesting that its outfit issued a fake negative COVID-19 test for a traveler.
The person, who made the allegation on Accra-based Starr FM, Portia Kissi Adu claimed that she was given a fake negative-status Covid-19 report allegedly issued by LEDing Medical Laboratory to facilitate her trip to Nigeria.
She further alleged that an employee of the airline in question, ASKY Airline, asked her to pay ₵700 in exchange for a fake test certificate and permitted her to board the aircraft.
But a statement issued and signed by the Laboratory’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Maame Fua Antwi-Gyamfi, indicated that the fake Covid-19 test report was not issued by any member or staff of LEDing Medical Laboratory or LEDing (GH) Limited.
She further explained that the testing facility has security features on its test certificates to verify its authenticity at all times.
“LEDing Medical Laboratory is pleased to note that the published news report correctly described the test certificate as fake, being that it was indeed never issued by LEDing Medical Laboratory, which is clearly demonstrated by the presence of a serial number on the fake test report that does not correspond to the authentic automated serial numbers (both in sequence and numbers) generated and used by LEDing Medical Laboratory in serving the general public.
“Our test certificates also have a unique bar code which can be used to verify its authenticity and a mandatory check by the airline staff, in line with agreed protocols and directives issued by the Ghana Airports Company Limited and other industry stakeholders, would have revealed that the test certificate furnished to Ms. Kissi Adu was not authentic and did not originate from LEDing Medical Laboratory,” she noted.
She then assured the public that its “medical test reports are protected and are difficult to duplicate without detection”.
The facility says processes have commenced with the appropriate state agencies to expose the persons behind the illegal activity.
She stated that the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service will be duly informed to uncover the fraudsters who are capitalizing on the vulnerability of the public.
She added, “We hereby request the cooperation of Miss Portia Kissi Adu, management of Starr FM and the management of ASKY AIRLINE with the Ghana Police Service in their duty to investigate and unravel the culprits behind the alleged incident.”
The Public Relations Officer also advised the general public to be “good ambassadors in the fight to end this deadly COVID-19 pandemic by refusing to patronize the activities of these dishonest characters when offered, no matter how convenient or appealing their activities may seem in the moment.”
Click here for the full statement.