- Two alleged bogus doctors have been arrested in the Eastern Cape.
- They allegedly started operating a surgery at the Bongalo Mall in Butterworth in January 2019.
- Some of the patients also allegedly purchased fraudulent sick certificates for work purposes.
Two alleged bogus doctors have been arrested on charges of practising without qualifications and dispensing medication without licences in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape.
The Hawks, assisted by the South African Police Service's Forensic Sciences Laboratory and the Health Professions Council of South Africa, arrested the two – aged 44 and 61 – on Tuesday.
According to the Hawks, the two started operating a surgery at Bongalo Mall in Butterworth in January 2019, charging a R250 consultation fee for each patient.
"Their clients were mostly pensioners around Butterworth, Dutywa, Ngqamakwe, Willowvale and Centana," Hawks spokesperson Lwando Zenzile said.
"Other patients who used the surgery for consultation allegedly paid for fraudulent sick certificates for work purposes," Zenzile added.
During the investigation, it was also discovered that they were dispensing medication, including injections, without the necessary qualifications and licences.
Zenzile said the joint team seized "volumes of medication" and used syringes at the surgery for further investigation, while a search was also conducted at their home in East London.
They are set to appear in the Butterworth Magistrate's Court on Thursday on an array of charges, including violating the Health Professions Act, other medical related offences, fraud, forgery, money laundering and uttering.
