Bogus doctor’s bail application denied
A serial offender: Rasheed Mahfouz, 65
A convicted bogus doctor who has once again been charged with fraud for illegally treating patients will remain behind bars after the Western Cape High Court denied his appeal for bail.
Rasheed Mahfouz, 65, from Crawford, was arrested in February after an undercover operation by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) at Philippi Medical Centre discovered that he allegedly examined a patient and dispensed medication for a fee.
It is not the first time Mahfouz has found himself in trouble with the law; in 2018 he was convicted on two counts of fraud for practising as a doctor despite not being registered with the HPCSA.
He received a five-year suspended jail sentence.
Upholding the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court’s decision to deny him bail, Western Cape High Court Judge James Lekhuleni on Wednesday noted that Mahfouz committed the alleged crime during the period of suspension.
During his recent arrest, Mahfouz is also alleged to have attempted to bribe Wynberg Court liaison officer, Sergeant Wasegan Mphambo, to “destroy the docket” containing evidence against him. Mahfouz has denied these allegations, stating in an affidavit that he worked as an admin clerk earning between R50 000 and R60 000 per month.
Judge Lekhuleni said: “It seems to me that the appellant (Mahfouz) is thriving in practising as a doctor, even though he is not registered with the HPCSA.
“The appellant informed Sergeant Mphambo that he has a lot of practice in various places in the Cape, including Khayelitsha and Philippi.
“In my view, there is a likelihood that if he is released on bail, he will stealthily continue his practice as an unregistered doctor, and this will endanger the safety of the public.”