North West – James Lwanyaga (48) and his friend Paul Linton Ssengoba(47), both Ugandan nationals, were denied bail by the Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court on Friday following their arrest by the Hawks’ Commercial Crime Unit in Klerksdorp for contravening the Health Professions Act 54 of 1976.
The Hawks, Local Criminal Records Centre and the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) conducted an operation following the information that there were people who were illegally practicing as Medial Doctors. On three occasion 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.
When the Hawks searched Lwanyaga’s house, nine(9) medical certificates with different doctors’ names were found and he claimed that Ssengoba was the one supplying him with certificates.
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 with Health Profession but James Lwanyaga and Paul Linton Ssengoba are not registered doctors.
Lwanyaga and Sengoba will be in the dock again on 07 February 2017 in the Marikana Magistrate Court and the Bafokeng Magistrate respectively.