Dutch scandal over Covid entry certs suspected of being fake

The Dutch health ministry has made a formal police complaint against the largest of 23 companies offering "test for entry" coronavirus certificates in the Netherlands – because they suspect some of them of being fake.

The investigation comes as a major embarrassment because the company is believed to have carried out 10-20 per cent of the total number of test-for-entry checks done nationally so far, at more than 100 locations around the country.

The test-for-entry system allows people who have not been vaccinated to get a free coronavirus test, and if the result is negative that is registered in the CoronaCheck app. They are then allowed to enter bars, restaurants and an increasing number of events scanning QR codes.

There’s no suggestion that all of the company’s certificates were fake – and existing QR codes will remain valid pending the outcome of parallel investigations by health inspectors and the police, who said that were taking the matter “very seriously”.

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The ministry for health did not name the company involved, but said it was a “large provider” of tests, confirmed that it had reported a suspected fraud to the police, and added: “We aim to block as many fraudulently issued vaccination certificates as possible.”

Despite that reticence, the company involved, Spoedtest.nl, went public on Monday, confirming that it was the provider under investigation but insisting it had done nothing wrong.

Its director, Rasmus Emmelkamp, pointed out that the company had a number of coronavirus-related aspects to its business, of which test-for-entry was one.

“The test provider will do all that it can to facilitate the health ministry investigation and to show that suspicions of issuing false vaccination certificates are completely without merit,” he said.

Increasing fraud

Both generating and selling fake coronavirus QR codes is illegal in the Netherlands – as is purchasing them.

The ministry for health warned last month that the number of instances of fraud or attempted fraud was on the increase when it began an investigation into how a working QR code had been generated in the name of Adolf Hitler, indicating he had had both vaccination jabs.

In September a 20-year-old man was arrested and several health service staff were suspended on suspicion of falsifying vaccination codes.

However, this is the first time a company rather than individuals has been investigated.

As the virus continues to spread days after the government imposed a new three-week partial lockdown, mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema announced on Tuesday that fireworks displays scheduled for New Year's Eve were being cancelled, including the most spectacular on central Museumplein.

According to the public health institute, there were 20,252 new infections in the 24 hours to 10am on Tuesday, up 80 per cent on a week ago.