‘There was no crime committed’ – fake TikTok doc’s lawyer

The lawyer of the bogus TikTok doctor, Bongani Matthew Lani, says that while Lani has been apprehended and is in custody, it must be noted that he didn’t commit a crime.

“He did not steal the identity or details of any doctor, and he didn’t consult and charge patients as a doctor. All he did was post content on social media, on TikTok, and that is not a crime,” Dumisani Mabunda said Monday afternoon.

He also said that Lani visited the hospitals as often as he did, mostly to fetch his medication. He did not mention what Lani was taking medication for.

ALSO READ: TikTok ‘doctor’ arrested: 7 things you should know about Matthew Lani

Speaking to eNCA, he confirmed that Lani has been charged with impersonating a doctor.

On Sunday, the Gauteng Health Department confirmed that Lani was nabbed by security personnel at the Helen Joseph Hospital after he attempted to enter the facility.

The department stated that Lani had been caught just before 8pm, dressed in a hoodie and wearing a surgical mask with a stethoscope around his neck.

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It is believed he arrived at the hospital to create more content for his social media platforms.

Lani rose to fame when he started dispensing medical advice on Tiktok.

He created content around issues like HIV.

When his credentials came into question, Wits University confirmed that it had no record of him. The HPCSA similarly took action, verifying that Matthew Lani was not listed on its register.

During his arrest, Lani was said to have asked for permission to go to the bathroom and had thereby tried to escape through the bathroom window.

ALSO READ: Wits University and HPCSA: We have no record of ‘influencer doctor’ Matthew Lani

The Department of Health said that when their security personnel realised that Lani was trying to escape, they called for reinforcement.

The department confirmed that Lani was eventually re-apprehended and taken away.

Additional reporting by Kyle Zeeman and Vukosi Maluleke