türkçe links to original Turkish article
(Hürriyet Newspaper, 27 March 2023)
Sait U. taking his "COVID medicine" as nurse writes his
beach blanket bingo pass.
In Konya last July, Sait U., who works in a private rehabilitation center,
told his boss Mehmet Evrim that he was ill and couldn't come to work,
sending Evrim a medical report that excused him from working for 4
days. When Sait U. refused Evrim's offer to visit him at the "hospital"
or his home, the boss became suspicious.
Evrim found out that Sait U. had never gone to Çumra State Hospital,
although he claimed that's where his medical report came from, and, in
fact, Sait U. posted photos of himself on the beach at Mersin on social
media (!). This prompted Evrim to file a criminal complaint against
Sait U., whose employment was terminated.
In the Konya public prosecutor's investigation, statements were
requested from nurse Esra T., Dr. Ömer Tayyip Ç. and physiotherapist
Sait U., who stated that "on the day in question I had a bad case of
diarrhea and I was vomiting. I thought I might have COVID so I
called my boss and said I couldn't come to work. Then I called nurse
Esra, who told me to come to the hospital but I said that if I came I
might give her COVID so, instead, I asked her to give me a 4-day
medical excuse report. Esra said I should have a COVID test done and
that she would talk to a doctor. Nevertheless, an hour later she sent me
the report. I felt better so I didn't get the COVID test done. When the
report expired I went back to work. I didn't know what I did was a
crime." (!)
In his statement, Dr. Ömer Tayyıp Ç. said, "I don't know Sait U. and
never examined him, nor did I give him a report. Because nurse Esra's
husband is a friend of Sait U.'s, she told me that she prepared the report
and sent it to him."
As for nurse Esra, she stated that "on the day in question my husband's
friend Sait U. called me and said he needed a 4-day medical excuse
report. I spoke with Dr. Ömer Tayyıp Ç. about this and when he gave
the OK I sent the report. The doctor knew about it and I used his
signature seal."
BEWARE! You're always under surveillance!
In the course of the investigation, visual and voice evidence was taken
from the hospital and it was determined that nurse Esra had indeed
gotten the OK from Dr. Ömer Tayyıp Ç. However, the investigation
also showed that the three times that Sait U. called nurse Esra that day
he called her from Mersin. (!)
In the prosecutor's indictment, a sentence of up to 15 years is requested
for Sait U. for "fraud" and "being a partner in falsifying an official
document by a state worker". As for nurse Esra and Dr. Ömer Tayyıp Ç.,
the prosecutor asked for up to 11 years in jail for each of them for
"misuse of their authority and falsifying an official document". The
trial for all three will begin on 5 September 2023.
