Passau (dpa / lby) – In Passau, the appeal process against a doctor for false mask certificates has begun. At the start of the trial, the doctor “essentially stated that, as a doctor, he believed that wearing a mask was of no use – neither for the wearer nor for others,” said a spokeswoman for the Passau district court on Tuesday. However, various scientific analyzes show that masks protect against infection with the corona virus.

Judges at the Passau district court were convinced in May that the 59-year-old exempted patients with false certificates from the obligation to wear a mask and disinfect their hands. They charged him with issuing incorrect health certificates in 79 cases. At the time, the doctor admitted that he had not examined the patients in question.

The man’s defense attorneys appealed the verdict, which included a suspended sentence, a fine and a partial ban from practicing his profession. According to the district court, on Tuesday they spoke of various legal problems that the district court did not take into account in its judgment.

At the start of the process, several witnesses were also heard, including people who had received certificates, a practice employee and a patient who had observed the processes. A total of four dates are scheduled for the proceedings before the district court, and a judgment could be made on October 20th.