© European commission (audiovisual service)
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The frauds with Bulgarian certificates became a leading topic in the Greek media after a report on the public television ERT.
The report, which also includes an interview with an intermediary and confirmation of the availability of the 300-euro certificate, also speaks of suspicions that GPs issue certificates without a vaccine.
The mediator quoted by the television speaks for payment of 300 euros and a short visit to Sofia, against which “everyone” can get a certificate without being vaccinated, and only for 15 minutes. The man spoke in front of the ERT camera about “trafficking from Bulgaria” of certificates, which persuaded Greek citizens to take them on the spot. “I know about over 100 certificates in three months. The channel is Bulgarian, there are just people here … I think there are thousands of certificates issued.”
There are also cheaper certificates in Greece
As a result, the Greeks with a permanent address in the country are carefully observed, presenting certificates from both Bulgaria and Romania. According to ERT, the scheme no longer works only with people traveling from northern Greece, but the mediator explains that they can be found all over Europe.
Counterfeit certificates are a serious problem in Greece and their use there is far from a “Bulgarian” patent, given the Greek report. “Proto Topic” (The ERT story is also described in the newspaper). In some cases, payments are made online and even with bitcoin. Many are trying to circumvent the rules despite the growing number of cases.
According to this material, there are much cheaper offers than the Bulgarian ones – 165 euros for a certificate, 65 for a test. The newspaper called the situation an “epidemic.” Kathimerini calls the Bulgarian scheme a “fake certificate factory” flooding northern Greece.
Not much can be done
ERT also quotes MEP Petar Vitanov, according to whom the distortion of statistics (a much larger share of “vaccinated” in Bulgaria are infected compared to other EU members) not only undermines trust in Bulgarian doctors and the health system, but can also lead to non-recognition. of Bulgarian certificates in Europe.
However, the latter condition is difficult to fulfill under existing European rules. The reason is that fake certificates do not differ from the real ones – they are generated by the same systems with the same data.
According to the European regulation governing the use of the certificate in the EU, countries are obliged to accept documents issued in other countries if they meet the content requirements. The verification of the authenticity of the documents and the investigation of the fraud alerts are the responsibility of the authorities in the country that issued the certificate. EUROPOL has set up a working group to investigate counterfeit covid certificates affecting several countries.
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“The truth is that it is left to the conscience and responsibility of the people who enter the data of vaccinated people. So it is very likely that doctors who have previously been willing to issue false immunization sheets, such as kindergarten permits, will they do it now “, cybersecurity expert Spas Ivanov told Dnevnik. And he points out that the only way to establish the dimensions of the problem is to monitor the percentage of people vaccinated in different countries (but only if a large part of the population is immunized and the proportion is comparable to other countries).
However, the question of what to do is seriously discussed in the Greek media, as explained by the correspondent of “Nova” in Athens. The possibility of Greece unilaterally revoking the Bulgarian certificates is already being commented on in the media, and each signal is being considered by the authorities according to the television. There is also talk of testimonies of doctors received from patients with such certificates.
Before ERT experts they say for the opportunity to use “electronic traces” left behind and to bring to justice in Greece people who have received fake certificates in Bulgaria.
“Why travel to Bulgaria if one can get the vaccine in Greece?”
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lawyer, Greek Medical Association
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Since September, Greece has increased penalties for proven fraud in COVID tests and certificates – hefty fines and imprisonment. For each unjustifiably issued (without vaccine or actual test) vaccination certificate or test result, the fine is 5,000 euros. The change impose, after a worker at a state vaccination center was fired for helping dozens of citizens obtain false documents. Issuing health centers can be punished even more severely – 50 thousand euros. Holders of such certificates may also be imprisoned for one year.
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