Cape surgeon conned out of thousands
A man allegedly involved in a scam in which a medical specialist lost R185 160, has absconded after being released on bail.
|||Cape Town - A man allegedly involved in a scam in which a medical specialist lost R185 160, has absconded after being released on bail.
Innocent Siziba’s R1 000 bail was forfeited to the State in July and, in proceedings on Wednesday, prosecutor Thersia du Toit-Smit said he was still at large.
She said the State would proceed with multiple fraud charges against his co-accused, Masixole Ncapa, 26, of Khayelitsha.
Ncapa appeared alone in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court, before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, who warned him to appear in court again on November 17.
The prosecutor said Ncapa wished to negotiate a plea bargain.
He faces two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, four of fraud, six of forgery and uttering and two of money laundering.
The forgery and uttering charges involve bank accounts that they allegedly opened at Capitec Bank.
The charge sheet names the medical specialist as Professor A G Linegar, a thoracic surgeon with a practice at the N1 City Hospital.
The charge sheet explained that a new patient wishing to consult the professor had to do so by appointment, and make an immediate payment of R800 for the first consultation.
The charge sheet tells how one of the two accused telephoned the practice in August, 2013, and falsely gave his name as Thomas Malala.
Malala wanted an appointment for his daughter, and claimed to own the business Malala Construction.
It is alleged that Malala later falsely informed the receptionist that the company’s accountant had mistakenly paid in a cheque for R92 700, instead of the required R800, and requested a refund of the overpayment.
The overpayment was refunded, and three days later Malala falsely informed the reception that a second cheque, for R92 436, had been paid to the practice by mistake.
This, also, was refunded, it is alleged.
ANA