The 45-year-old Ekurhuleni man was recently arrested at a local internet cafe for allegedly masquerading as a doctor and issuing fraudulent medical certificates under the name of Dr MLA Modisane.
The so-called doctor appeared in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court for fraud on September 13. He was remanded in custody and the case was postponed to September 23, for further investigations.
The arrest came after the HPCSA Inspectorate Office in collaboration with the Ekurhuleni East Crime Intelligence and the EMPD Community Liaison Unit established that 19 employees at a grocery store in Northmead Square had submitted 41 fraudulent medical certificates under the doctor’s name.
HPCSA spokesperson Christopher Tsatsawane said during the operation, it was identified that the Zimbabwean man was issuing fraudulent medical certificates to the employees.
“He was then caught red-handed at a nearby café issuing the said medical certificates,” said Tsatsawane.
“He was arrested for fraud and contravening section 39(1)(a) of the Health Professions Act, 56 of 1974, for issuing medical certificates as a medical practitioner while not being registered with the council. Practising while not registered with the HPCSA constitutes a criminal offence in terms of section 39(2).”
Tsatsawane said upon his arrest, he was found to be in possession of 38 blank medical certificates, a stamp, negative Covid-19 declaration forms and various other fraudulent medical documents under the name of Dr Modisane.
“It was further established that the man was previously working at the practice of Dr Modisane in Daveyton.
“One of the employees was arrested for fraud after having submitted eight of the fraudulent medical certificates.
Further to those arrests, seven more employees were arrested for fraud the following day for having submitted 31 of the fraudulent medical certificates,” he said.
The eight employees also appeared in court on September 13 and were released on bail.
Tsatsawane added that the HPCSA would like to caution the public against obtaining fraudulent medical certificates and wishes to emphasise that medical certificates must be issued and signed by a medical practitioner or any other person who is certified to diagnose and treat patients and who is registered with a professional council established by an act of Parliament.
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