Despite the fact that he did not have authorization to carry out tests to detect Covid-19 and that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office had already begun the investigation into the business of swabbing travelers to the Pacific islands, Sermedic, the laboratory of Leonardo Labrador and Ana Lorena Chang, continued billing.
According to the prosecutor Omar Jaén in the guarantees hearing held on February 9, an audit by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) detected that between January 2021 and January 28, 2022, that laboratory carried out 388 swabs. Each one cost $25.
These tests had to be entered into the Minsa data by a regent laboratory technician and, for this task, Labrador and Chang chose Carmen Arosemena, head of the laboratory at the Mañanitas Health Center and laboratory technician at the Susana Jones Hospital. She was proposed to give her a percentage of money for each signature that certifies a test. These data were entered into the Minsa records.
Arosemena was charged with the alleged commission of the crime against public health, the same responsibility that concerned Chang. Both have the precautionary measure of house arrest.
Meanwhile, Labrador was charged with the alleged commission of crimes against public health and official corruption. He is detained.
At the hearing, the guarantee judge Marisol Ortiz pointed out that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office must establish whether other people are related to the case. This, because the judge was struck by the fact that the Minsa, which is the victim in this matter, did not immediately close the Sermedic premises, since it continued to carry out swab tests until the end of January.
He described these events as “serious and sad”, mainly because they occurred in the midst of the pandemic.
In the folder related to the investigation maintained by the prosecution, there are also sworn statements from businessmen from the Playita de Amador, who confirmed that Sermedic personnel carried out tests to detect Covid-19 on travelers who were going to Taboga.
Another of the statements cited by the prosecutor was that of the Director of Health of the Metropolitan Region of Minsa, Israel Cedeño, who assured that “there was no installation order for a swab center in Amador or in any other part of the country”, in favor of Sermedic.
On February 16, at 8:30 am, the Superior Court of Appeals will hold a hearing after the lawyers of the three investigated appealed the precautionary measures imposed.
Yesterday, the Sermedic clinic, located in Villa Lucre, was closed. The front door was secured with a chain and padlock.
