At a Danish medical clinic, between January 2017 and April 2019, 1,713 invalid health certificates were prepared for pilots, according to the indictment in a case that begins in Copenhagen City Court on Monday.
The clinic’s female owner is charged with abuse of position and gross fraud.
The health certificates were invalid because the clinic’s doctors did not have the right skills to issue the certificates.
In order to prepare health certificates for use in aviation, a special stamp is required.
That stamp came into the hands of the clinic because the defendant clinic owner also worked in a public agency, according to the indictment. Through that job, she was able to order the stamps that were then used to make the certificates appear valid.
The clinic’s customers had no knowledge that the certificates were not valid, and they therefore suffered a total loss of DKK 802,393.23.
Pilots must have annual thorough examinations by a doctor to ensure they are both mentally and physically fit to do their job.
14 court days have been set aside to deal with the case against the female clinic owner.
The prosecutor’s office is seeking a prison sentence for her, while reservations are also being taken against claims of deprivation of rights.
In other words, she can be deprived of the right to work as a doctor for a period of time if she is found guilty.
The indictment against the woman is dated 21 December 2022. In other words, almost 23 months have passed from the indictment to the case coming to court.
She pleads not guilty, says her defender, Esben Joakim de Meza Skjernov.
Although the case, which starts on Monday, concerns only the clinic owner, the prosecutor’s office does not believe that she was the only one to defraud the health certificates.
Nine other doctors who also worked at the clinic are also charged with having prepared health certificates for pilots without having authorization to do so.
Their cases are dealt with separately.
/ritzau/
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
