The charges against infamous TikTok creator and “doctor”, Matthew Lani, have been dropped.
Lani appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
However, according to Lani’s lawyer Bongani Mabunda, the charges were withdrawn as there were no formal complaints lodged against him.
Mabunda said the videos Lani made were for TikTok content and confirmed that his client is not a real doctor.
Addressing the media following the court appearance, Mabunda said if there are any developments as investigations continue, the charge of impersonating a doctor could be reinstated.
“His conduct was just for entertainment,” he said, adding that there was no proof that Lani was consulted as a doctor. Mabunda said there was also no proof that Lani ever received payment. Lani feigned ignorance when asked about his antics on social media.
He said that he did not know about any TikTok accounts that disputed statements put out by the University of Witwatersrand, Cambridge International College and the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) – who all denied his qualifications.
Lani pretended to be in the employ of the Helen Joseph Hospital, where he moved around the hospital corridors curating content for social media.
He was apprehended by security staff at the Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday night after he entered the main entrance dressed wearing a hoodie and stethoscope around his neck.
When apprehended, he asked to use the bathroom where he tried to escape out the window, but was then caught.
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