Pretoria - A Congolese national who was arrested after he was found impersonating a doctor, appeared at the Hendrina Magistrates’ Court in Mpumalanga where he was released on R5000 bail on Tuesday.
According to Hawks provincial spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, Ilunga Pierre Mwenze, 38, was monitored for a while before he was arrested.
He was arrested in April during a joint operation conducted by the Middelburg based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team together with Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) at Hendrina.
“He was charged with practising as a health professional while not registered with the council in terms of the Health Professions Act,” said Sekgotodi.
“It was reported that on Tuesday, 4 April 2023, that the suspect who was monitored by the police for some time was finally found on duty.
“The said doctor was interviewed by the HPCSA inspectors who discovered that he was not registered with the council as a medical practitioner.
“However, the doctor allegedly informed the inspectors that he had his registration papers and he was instructed to produce the papers but he failed,” Sekgotodi explained.
Mwenze was arrested and charged with contravention of the Health Professions Act.
Hawks confiscated patients’ files and registers for further investigation.
His matter was postponed to 13 April for further investigation
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