Police in Spain have uncovered at least 2,200 famous people, including José María Fernández Sousa-Faro, the President of PharmaMar, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Spain, holding false COVID-19 vaccination certificates bought from a nurse. EuroWeekly News has the story.
Amongst those that have been investigated are leading singers, musicians, football stars, business people, politicians and top medical personnel.
The scandal involved people being added to the National Immunisation Registry in exchange for money, with many of them familiar faces and household names.
The latest of these to be charged is the President of PharmaMar José María Fernández Sousa-Faro, an IBEX 35 company, and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Spain. The company is dedicated to researching drugs including cancer, Alzheimer’s and yes, COVID-19.
The 76-year-old businessman, who has not yet been summoned to testify, was included in the lists to reflect that he had received the third dose.
The leader of the network was a nursing assistant at the La Paz University Hospital, where he is accused of charging more than €200,000 euros for fraudulently registering 2,200 people as vaccinated in the National Registry against COVID-19. He has been arrested and is currently in custody.
Among those accused are Bruno González Cabrera, a defender who played for Betis, Getafe, Levante and Valladolid. Fabio Díez Steinaker in beach volleyball, runner-up in Europe and fifth in the Sydney Olympic Games. The former Valencian boxer and wrestler José Luis Zapater, alias Titín, who starred in more than a thousand fights.
The famous people investigated so far includes: José María Fernández Sousa-Faro, President of PharmaMar; Trinitario Casanova, one of the richest men in Spain; Kidd Keo, singer; Anier, rap singer; Jarfaiter, rap singer; Veronica Echegui, actress; Bruno Gonzalez Cabrera, soccer player; Fabio Díez Steinaker, former beach volleyball Olympian; José Luis Zapater, alias Titín, former boxer; Camilo Esquivel, recognised and prestigious doctor.
According to the police who are investigating the 2,200 over false COVID-19 vaccination certificates, the fee was dependent on your social standing. The more important you were, the higher the price.
This story broke at the end of last month but has received scant attention in the media. Some may say it is obvious this kind of thing is going on – though I’m not sure the public would see it that way. For sceptics, the real crime is coercing people to be vaccinated against their own assessment of the benefits and risks. Since such a law is clearly contrary to any reasonable conception of personal autonomy and human rights, should we really blame people for finding a way around it?
Let’s not forget the biggest scandal here: that the president of a pharmaceutical company would be so wary of taking a drug which all the trials and medical authorities insist is safe and effective. What does he know that he’s not letting on?
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