AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Zanzibar Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Authority (ZAECA) is holding 11 people for allegedly hacking the Isles’ Covid-19 testing and result issuance portal, and issuing negative results to hundreds of travelers.
ZAECA Director General Ahmed Khamis Makarani told reporters here yesterday that the suspects—a mixture of public servants and private individuals—issued a total of 548 negative certificates to travelers who were not tested as required.
The results were issued through genuine documents but were not true because testing did not take place.
“They occasioned a loss of USD 50,000 that would have been collected as fees if the individuals tested as required,” he said.
“Unfortunately, those who were issued with fake certificates include top government officials,” he remarked. naming the suspects as Rashid Saleh (32), a Michenzani resident working at an orphanage, Peter MasikaWafula (41) said to be a Kenyan national resident of Kwa Mchina area and working at the Al Rahma private hospital.
Others are Hassan Vuai Hassan (41), a Kwarara resident and works in the Health ministry laboratory, Yassir Said Ali (27), resident of Tomondo and working at Zanzibar Aids Control Programme (ZACP) Covid1-19 Centre, Jamal Abbas Abdalla (38), a Kilimani resident working at the Zanzibar International Airport, and Abdalla Mohammed Juma (25) who works in the tourism sector.
Others are Asya Gharib Haji (39), a Mpendae resident working in the Health ministry lab, Salum Haroub Amour (24),Miembeni resident and part time worker at the Medical Stores Department, Arafa Abdul-hakim Muhsin (30), Ministry of Health employee in the at Covid-19 Centre and MbaroukKhamis Ali (43), Masingini resident who works in the Health ministry in the Laboratory Division.
“These people work in the Zanzibar government and private institutions, registered in the authentic Covid-19 certificates system hence they violated the entire system in accessing a secret code for the certificates.
“When they pass at the airport with these certificates the secret codes show the certificate are genuine while they are not, due to tampering with the code for their own benefit in disregard of the wider adverse effects to the country,” he explained.
“Persons travelling to foreign countries with fake documents and undergo fresh tests there showing they are positive means that Zanzibar testing equipment is fake and not safe,” the director underlined.
