Doctor Jailed for Forging Certificates in Aesthetic Procedures

Bernard Tan Wen Sheng pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery and one count of giving false information to a public servant. He was sentenced to four months’ jail on July 29 for forging four certificates of competence (COCs) and submitting them to the Ministry of Health (MOH). Tan committed the offences to obtain a licence for his medical practice, with two of the COCs related to workshops he had not attended at the time.

District Judge James Elisha Lee emphasized that the MOH regulatory framework aims to protect public health and safety. Tan knowingly violated MOH regulations and showed disregard for the ministry’s processes. COCs are essential for the regulatory process used by MOH to assess clinic licence applications.

Tan altered his wife’s COCs to create his own, obtaining four COCs issued to his wife for procedures like chemical peels, fillers, and botulinum toxin injections. He sent the forged certificates to MOH via email, falsely claiming attendance at workshops he had not actually completed.

Tan’s application was eventually approved, and he provided services after attending workshops for them. The court did not reveal how his offences were discovered, but Tan was charged in 2024. He was granted bail of $20,000 and is set to begin his sentence on Aug 15.

According to the source: The Straits Times.