Nigerian doctor held for fraud
2005-05-22 10:01
Port Elizabeth - A Nigerian doctor and his two local accomplices felt the sting of the Scorpions in the early hours of Thursday morning when they were arrested for social grant fraud amounting to R2m.
The three briefly appeared in the New Brighton court on Thursday. The women were each granted bail of R500, while the doctor was refused bail.
Their next hearing will be on May 25.
Dr Adekunile Matthew Faybuyi, 42, who worked for the department of health, allegedly recruited people to apply for disability grants with the help of Lindelwa Msutu, 28, of Rolihlahla informal settlement and Ntomboxolo Makeleni, 39, of Zwide.
Gcobani Maswana, provincial spokesperson for the department of social development, said Faybuyi allegedly filled in the medical part of the application forms without examining the patients.
"It is alleged Faybuyi kept part of the money paid out to the applicants for himself and that he loaned money to applicants, who would also pay considerable interest to him."
"A huge amount of application forms for disability grants were found in Faybuyi's house.
"We also found 11 identity documents and medical documents including IDs from the Congo, Nigeria and Ghana at his Kleinskool surgery."
Provincial social security chief director Bandile Maqetuka said the department was doing everything to arrest anyone involved in social grants fraud, regardless of their social status.
Maqetuka said Faybuyi, who lives in Uitenhage, was known throughout the province.
"I first heard of him in 2002. We also heard of the two women who would approach poor and vulnerable people and tell them that R250 could get them disability grants."
"All these people were not disabled and could not even afford the R250 needed in order for a doctor to declare them disabled. The doctor would then claim his share once the grant applications succeeded.
"The department early this year issued an amnesty for people who illegally claimed grants.
"The problem with social grant fraud was spotted during the last financial year when the deficit in social development was R1.2bn," Maqetuka said.
'Abnormal number' of disability grants
He added that an investigation revealed an abnormal number of disability grant beneficiaries around the Nelson Mandela metro.
Maqetuka said social and disability grant scams cost the department around R70m during the last financial year. Nationally, the amount stands at R1.5bn a year.
Dr Zola Skweyiya, minister of social development, has commended the Eastern Cape provincial government for the arrest of the suspects who allegedly defrauded the department.
Mbulelo Musi, national spokesperson for social development, said about 41 000 public servants suspected of being involved in defrauding the social security system were being investigated by the special investigations unit.
"Other investigations relating to doctors, lawyers and syndicates involved in fraud are also being intensified across the country and more arrests are expected," Musi said.