“I am deeply sorry for what I did. It shouldn't have happened," said the doctor, who was accused of committing seven crimes of false attestation in a process whose crimes allegedly took place in 2016.

In the first session of the trial, which took place at the Court of Coimbra, the defendant said that five years ago he had another case, which was provisionally suspended upon payment to an institution of social solidarity.

Since then, he has gone on to “be as rigorous as possible” in medical certificates and has stopped practicing medicine in Coimbra.

"I didn't make the best decision at the time", confessed the defendant, showing surprise at being tried again (given the provisional suspension of the other case), to which the president of the panel of judges clarified that it was another case related to other people.

The owner of a documentation agency, who worked on behalf of clients in the process of renewing driving licenses and certificates of professional aptitude for taxi drivers, also confessed to having committed the seven crimes of false attestation of which she is accused.

“What is there is true and I regret it every day”, said the woman, admitting that she charged 60 euros for each license renewal, but that 30 euros would be to pay the renewal fee at the Institute of Mobility and Transport.

The defendant also confessed that she gave five euros to the doctor for each certificate she issued.

Asked why she had committed the crimes, the defendant said that "people wanted help, the doctor wasn't there, and things happened".

“It shouldn't have happened,” she added.

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the medical certificates were issued without observing the drivers who requested the services of the defendant.