A tavern owner who boldly sold his customers liquor and a doctor's note from behind the bar is now in custody‚ with his accomplice‚ after their racket was bust by the Hawks in the North West.
James Lwanyaga (48) and his friend Paul Linton Ssengoba (47)‚ both Ugandan nationals‚ have been denied bail by the Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court following their arrest by the Hawks’ Commercial Crime Unit in Klerksdorp for contravening the Health Professions Act.
Explaining how the bust happened‚ Lieutenant Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the Hawks‚ Local Criminal Records Centre and the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) conducted the operation last week after receiving information that there were people who were illegally practicing as medical doctors.
"On three occasions Lwanyaga and Ssengoba sold medical certificates to undercover cops for R150‚ R200 and R300 without any form of examination. Ssengoba‚ a tavern owner‚ also sold medical certificates from his liquor premises‚" the Hawks statement alleged.
A search of Lwanyaga’s house led to the discovery of nine medical certificates with different doctors’ names‚ said Netshiunda.
Members of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) verified that all nine doctors whose names were written on the medical certificates were registered.
Lwanyaga and Ssengoba‚ who are not registered doctors‚ will be in the dock again in February 2017.
