A man who posed as a doctor for years, treating unsuspecting patients and issuing fraudulent prescriptions, has finally been convicted in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

Junior Umbela Kayoyo, 40, pleaded guilty to charges of fraud, forgery, and uttering, following a multi-agency investigation led by the Western Cape division of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks.

Kayoyo had been operating illegally between June 2018 and October 2019, masquerading as a qualified doctor, despite lacking any formal registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

"He examined patients, issued sick notes and dispensed medication to unsuspecting patients, using the details of registered doctors," Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, said.

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His deception was uncovered as part of a wider intelligence-led operation in 2018, resulting in the arrests of six suspects across 15 locations, including Bellville, Paarl, eMbekweni, Khayelitsha, and Philippi.

Kayoyo was first arrested in June 2018 and again in October 2019 on similar charges.

The accused was released on R5,000 bail in 2018.

The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, along with police forensic specialists and the HPCSA, played a key role in bringing him to justice.

Speaking on the conviction, the Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Western Cape Major General Makgato, emphasised the dangers of such fraud:

“These criminals who fraudulently cover-up as doctors are putting the medical profession into disrepute and further putting people's lives at risk."

Kayoyo's sentencing is scheduled for April 3.

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