Health fraud in court

FOUR people accused of defrauding the Windhoek Central Hospital will appear in the in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court today.

Susan Mangani, Brian Collin Mootsang, Klementine Ganases and Collette Wilma Beukes are out on bail of N$3 000 each. The State alleges that the four defrauded Government of at least N$128 916.Mootsang and Ganases, who resigned from the Health Ministry during the investigation, were both arrested on November 14.Mangani, the owner of Sue’s Health and Beauty cc, was arrested six days earlier and appeared in court on the same day.The fourth accused, Beukes, was arrested in late February this year.The Namibian revealed earlier that Mangani had received at least one Government cheque for N$28 665,19 from the Ministry of Health in January 2005 for supposedly supplying equipment for the hospital’s operating theatre in December the previous year.No surgeries took place in the hospital during the last week of that year.When approached by The Namibian last year, Mangani denied that she was part of the scam.A network of senior staff members and clerks at the hospital allegedly diverted hospital funds into their own accounts.In other cases, private patients were allegedly asked to write cash cheques that never made it into State coffers.Mangani is represented by Lucius Murorua while Sisa Namandje represents Mootsang and Ganases.Sarel Maritz is the lawyer for Beukes.The State alleges that the four defrauded Government of at least N$128 916.Mootsang and Ganases, who resigned from the Health Ministry during the investigation, were both arrested on November 14.Mangani, the owner of Sue’s Health and Beauty cc, was arrested six days earlier and appeared in court on the same day.The fourth accused, Beukes, was arrested in late February this year.The Namibian revealed earlier that Mangani had received at least one Government cheque for N$28 665,19 from the Ministry of Health in January 2005 for supposedly supplying equipment for the hospital’s operating theatre in December the previous year.No surgeries took place in the hospital during the last week of that year.When approached by The Namibian last year, Mangani denied that she was part of the scam.A network of senior staff members and clerks at the hospital allegedly diverted hospital funds into their own accounts.In other cases, private patients were allegedly asked to write cash cheques that never made it into State coffers.Mangani is represented by Lucius Murorua while Sisa Namandje represents Mootsang and Ganases.Sarel Maritz is the lawyer for Beukes.