EPALA BATAS, July 5 — An unemployed man who made a monthly profit of RM5,000 from printing and selling fake sick leave certificates was arrested by police in Penaga yesterday afternoon, an hour after the arrest of a mechanic who acted as his agent.

The arrest of the 34-year-old mastermind and the 30-year-old accomplice followed a police report lodged by the human resources manager of a Sungai Puyu-based private company which was also the employer of the mechanic.

The manager had become suspicious after receiving two similar medical certificates from two employees.

The certificates were purportedly issued by a government hospital but checks made by the company found that the serial numbers on the certificates did not exist while the medical officer named in the certificate did not work at the facility.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said investigations showed that the mastermind had been operating for one year and sold each certificate for RM10 to his agents who were believed to be workers at factories in northern and central Seberang Perai, and these agents in turn sold the certificates for RM15 to RM20 each.

He said police were tracing the other agents involved, while the two suspects had been remanded for four days to facilitate investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code for the offence of cheating. — Bernama