The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation - popularly known as the Hawks - in KwaZulu-Natal has come under scrutiny for allegedly attempting to shield a criminal conduct case against a bogus medical doctor who defrauded the provincial department of health.
The said individual, one Rashal Dayanand masqueraded as a medical practitioner before being eventually caught in his tracks. According to the information in the possession of Mail& Guardian, Dayanand accumulated a salary and other allowances amounting to R637, 087, 75 working for the department of health. At one stage, Dayanand is alleged to have been appointed as an acting medical manager.
“This is a travesty of justice.Thousands of lives who were treated by the bogus doctor were put in harm's way when he fraudulently practiced medicine. The case has dragged on for close to 10 years. Despite having committed this act, he continues to live a life of opulence, being absolved from any prosecution,” the whistleblower told M&G.
The source further pointed out that although a probe had been carried out by the department of health as far back as 2018 and found Dayanand in the wrong, it had failed to recoup thousands in salary and other incentives it had paid him while he was on the department’s payroll.
“To add salt to injury, the department has not recovered close to a million it had paid to the fraudulent doctor while he was in their employ,” the source stated.
A 2018 investigation by the KZN department of health concluded that Dayanand did not meet criteria when he was employed by the Pietermaritzburg-based Northdale hospital, a government owned health facility. Dayanand was recruited as an intern doctor in October 2015 and officially commenced duties in January the following year.
“Mr R Dayanand registered and studied for a Bachelor of Medicine at UKZN from 2007 but has outstanding modules and did not complete his qualification. His name was not part of the 2016 graduation list, the year he claims to have to have completed his degree. He submitted fraudulent medical degree records when he was employed or during his employment by the KZN department of health,” stated the investigation findings in part.
Dayanand had apparently claimed in his application that he had completed the qualification from the University of KwaZulu-Natal but the university denied having conferred the qualification on him. Instead, a university official who was summoned to give evidence during the probe confirmed that Dayanand had registered for a medical degree but had outstanding subjects in his academic record.
The VP Justice Foundation, who had been aggressively pushing for Dayanand to face the full might of the law, asserted that he was being protected by high-ranking politicians as well as key role players in the justice sector.
“This is not a case of fraud only but of medical negligence. The failure of the law enforcement agencies to prosecute him means they are being complacent to this brazen criminality. This matter dates back to 2018 through an investigation conducted by the provincial department of health.The University where he studied also confirmed that he actually lied about obtaining a medical degree. It was also established beyond reasonable doubts that when he was employed as a medical intern, he misrepresented his credentials. This was fraud at its best but nothing has been done,” explained foundation spokesperson, Visham Panday.
Panday further told the M&G that Dayanand had also been employed at another public health facility, Portshepstone hospital, before moving to Northdale hospital.
“If it was someone else without any political connection, they would have long been arrested and swiftly prosecuted. Even the former KZN spokesperson Vincent Mdunge who was found to have falsified his matric certificate when he applied for a job in the police service, served his time. Why is this individual being treated differently when he has committed a similar offense, who is protecting him."
The matter of the apparent dragging of the case was also reported to the Office of the Directorate if Priority Crime Investigation Judge, a an independent oversight body responsible for investigating public complaints against the Hawks.
In a letter seen by the M&G and directed to the acting national head of the Hawks Leutenant-General Siphesihle Nkosi, Charmaine Marshal, the director at the Office of the DCPI Judge raises her grave concerns.
“The essence of the complainant is that the urgent finalisation of the investigation relating to possible falsification of the qualification is critical and very urgent. The effect would be that the members of the public represented by our complainant are at serious risk of harm.” Marshall wrote.
Colonel Katlego Mogale, Hawks spokesperson told the M&G: “The investigation was finalised and handed to the prosecution for a decision.”