‘Pretend doctor’ Maria Carmela Pau accused of giving out 600 fake medical exemptions has case adjourned

Gold Coast woman Maria Carmela Pau, accused of pretending to be a doctor and giving out 600 fake medical exemptions for Covid-19 tests, vaccines and mask wearing has had her case adjourned.

A Gold Coast woman accused of pretending to be a doctor and giving out 600 fake medical exemptions for Covid-19 tests, vaccines and wearing a mask has had her case adjourned until next month.

Self-styled ‘spiritual insights coach’ Maria Carmela Pau, 45, was arrested last month and charged with five counts of taking a title indicating a person is a health practitioner.

She became the first person in Queensland charged with the offence.

Police alleged she was charging people up to $150 for fake Covid exemption certificates.

Maria Carmel Pau is surrounded by media after her court appearance. Picture: Tertius Pickard

They alleged that while she had a research doctorate, she had no medical qualifications and was not registered with the Australian Health Practitioner‘s Regulation Agency or Medicare.

Pau, who also goes by the name of Maria Power, runs an online charity called Coaching with Substance.

She has described herself as a “spiritual insights” and recovery coach who offers a “mind-body-spirit” approach to addiction recovery.

After her arrest, Pau told media she had done ‘nothing wrong’ and described the police raid on her home as ‘scary’.

They took my laptop, they took my phones, they took everything,” she said.

Pau was unapologetic for allegedly charging ‘customers’ up to $150 for the fake exemptions.

“There were eight of them that came. They all had guns. They just came in. They were here for about three hours. It was scary.

“I was videotaping it because I – you know, just to protect myself. I didn’t know what was going to happen or what they were going to do, but in the end, they didn’t want me to video record anything.”

The case was mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday but adjourned until December 9.

Originally published as ‘Pretend doctor’ Maria Carmela Pau accused of giving out 600 fake medical exemptions has case adjourned