A 50-year-old suspect is scheduled to appear before the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court today, facing serious allegations of fraud.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by the Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases (MBOD). According to the allegations, between December 2024 and February 2025, the suspect submitted 14 fraudulent Medical Examination Claim Forms to the bureau. The submissions, originating from the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, represented a potential financial loss of R2.6 million.
Investigations reveal that the suspect’s alleged scheme targeted ex-miners suffering from Tuberculosis (TB) contracted in the mining industry. The suspect is accused of arranging medical examinations for these former employees at various hospitals across Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
The fraud allegedly occurred after legitimate doctors completed the claim forms for these examinations. The forms were then handed to the suspect, who is accused of forging the doctors’ handwriting on the documents. The completed forms were subsequently submitted to the MBOD offices in Braamfontein for payment processing.
The fraudulent activity was detected by the bureau before any payments could be released. The matter was then escalated to the Hawks’ Serious Economic Offences unit based at Headquarters for a thorough investigation.
This investigation culminated in the arrest of the suspect in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Monday, 01 December 2025. He remains in custody pending his court appearance.
