'Fake doctor’ accused of pocketing R637,000 appears in court - IOL

Reshal Dayanand faces fraud and forgery charges after the Hawks alleged he used a fraudulent MBChB degree and academic record to register with the HPCSA and work as an intern doctor.

A KwaZulu-Natal man accused of using a fraudulent MBChB degree to register as a doctor has appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

Reshal Dayanand, 39, briefly appeared in court on Wednesday, facing charges of fraud, forgery and contravening the Health Professions Act and Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, Dayanand studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) between 2007 and 2015.

"Dayanand was academically excluded during the year 2013 due to poor performance and was re-admitted in 2015 through the Dean's discretion.

"However, he did not finish his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree as there was one module that he did not pass."

The police added that "despite failing one module, Dayanand allegedly managed to fraudulently register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to be enrolled as a doctor".

"As a result, he was placed as an intern doctor at Northdale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg in 2016. During his tenure, Dayanand earned a total amount of R637 087.75. 

"To cover his tracks, Dayanand allegedly connived with an unknown UKZN official and generated a fraudulent academic record that indicates that he passed all the required modules, whereas he did not."

The Hawks further allege that Dayanand did not attend a graduation ceremony but that a fraudulent MBChB degree certificate was nevertheless generated, certifying him as a qualified doctor.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Hawks in Durban, prompting an investigation conducted with guidance from prosecutors.

"Relevant stakeholders were consulted and they confirmed that his conduct was unlawful and fraudulent," the Hawks said.

According to the police, the investigation established that Dayanand did not meet the requirements for the MBChB degree prescribed by UKZN.

"Hence, he was criminally charged and appeared before court," the Hawks said.

Dayanand was released on warning following his court appearance.

The matter has been postponed to November 19.