DOCTOR ACCUSED OF FRAUD FOR E300K LOAN

MBABANE - A medical doctor employed by Philani Clinic is alleged to have used a fraudulent letter to apply for a E300 000 bank loan.
The doctor, whose identity has been deliberately withheld pending an internal investigation into the issue, is fully licensed by the Swaziland Medical and Dental Council to practise in the country.

Contract

A source said the doctor was employed by Philani Clinic on May 1, 2021, on a two-year contract, which expired on April 30, 2023. It was renewed to a two-year contract, which expires on April 30, 2025. He is alleged to have submitted the letter on November 5 to Standard Bank Eswatini, stating that he has a renewable four-year contract with the current contract. However, his employer has denied this, saying the doctor’s contract is winding up in 2025 and renewing it is a prerogative of Philani’s management.It further confirms that the doctor’s remuneration is E390 000 per annum before tax, plus an on-call allowance of E1 500 per night and E3 000 per weekend shift.

A letter submitted by the doctor bears the signature of the Managing Director of the Clinic Dr Phetsile Dlamini, confirming all the contents of the letter. This newspaper gathered that the attempted fraud was discovered when the bank conducted due diligence to verify the contents of the letter. An internal source revealed that the management of Philani Clinic refuted knowledge of the letter, prompting questions on the motive behind the letter. “On November 8, 2024, the bank investigated the veracity of the contents of the letter purported to be from the director.

The admin requested a copy of the letter. This was a letter written by the doctor awarding himself a four-year contract until 2028, misinforming them about financial benefits and further forging Dr Phetsile Dlamini’s signature in this letter,” the source said. It further noted that the management is yet to discuss the issue with the doctor, if it feels the dignity of the clinic was impaired. Reached for comment, Dr Dlamini confirmed knowledge of the matter but said it would be unethical for her to comment on a matter dealt with within the internal organs of the company.

Ordered

Besides the issue of the loan application, it was revealed that the doctor was previously ordered by management to pay back money he allegedly failed to remit. These were professional fees paid by SwaziMed via doctors. The money had allegedly accumulated to E202 287 20 by February this year. In October of the same year, it was found that another E90 381.45 was not remitted by the same doctor. “When the management discovered this, they informed the doctor that his contract would not be renewed next year. He has to pay the money by the end of November 2024,” the source alleged.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the issue had not been reported to the police. The doctor refuted claims made against him when called yesterday. He acknowledged having applied for a loan, but said he used an authentic letter, as he was still employed by the Clinic. He could not produce the said letter, saying it was with the recipients of the application. He declined to state if he had received feedback on the application, saying such is personal information, not for public consumption. The doctor said his relationship with his employer is still unbroken. “If my employer has qualms about my work, he can engage me,” he said. It is rarely reported that a doctor committed the offence of fraud in Eswatini.  However, several ways in which this can happen have been documented on the internet.

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