Durban - The Hawks have arrested a KwaZulu-Natal doctor this week allegedly linked to fraudulent life insurance claims amounting to millions.
The 84-year-old doctor was arrested on Thursday, released on a warning and ordered to appear in court next month. He is not being named as he has yet to appear in court.
The doctor is among four people who allegedly committed R6.5million fraud in May 2020.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said the medical doctor was allegedly called out by a funeral parlour owner to certify a dead body.
“The suspect claimed that he saw a dead body and certified it as a dead person.
“As a result, a death certificate was issued by the Department of Home Affairs and the suspects claimed that the deceased was cremated,” he said.
Mhlongo said a life cover policy claim of R6.5m was submitted and the insurance company conducted its own internal investigation.
“It was discovered that the deceased was alive and the intention was to defraud the insurance company.
“A case of fraud was reported at Berea police station and the case docket was allocated to the Hawks members for intensive investigation,” he said.
Mhlongo said in 2022, following an intensive investigation the policy holder Emmanuel Ponen, 33, the claimant Merlen Munusamy, 45, and the funeral parlour owner Sifiso Gabela, 47, were arrested and charged for fraud.
All four are due back in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on March 17.
IOL