A Durban doctor is accused of colluding with a Funeral Parlour Director to assist a couple to fraudulently claim R6.5 million from an insurance company.
- A doctor facing fraud charges says he is too old to stand trial.
- He is accused of colluding with a funeral parlour director to assist a couple to fraudulently claim R6.5 million from Old Mutual.
- The trial of the four accused was adjourned to October.
An 85-year-old doctor, who is charged with issuing a fake death certificate to assist a Durban man's girlfriend to fraudulently claim R6.5 million in life cover, says he is too old to stand trial.
Dr Eric Van Der Veen is one of four people charged with fraud in the Durban Regional Court, in a case involving an illegal claim of R6.5 million from Old Mutual.
Van Der Veen denies any wrongdoing and has approached the KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions, Elaine Zungu, to have his name removed from the list of accused.
His lawyer, advocate Paddy Prior, said: "It is not in the interest of justice for my client to remain an accused in this matter, especially given his advanced age. He had nothing to do with the fraudulent claim."
According to the Hawks, the incident occurred in 2020 in Durban.
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The spokesperson for the Hawks, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, said Emmanuel Ponan, 34, had taken out a R6.5-million policy in February 2020, and then faked his own death.
Three months later, his 46-year-old girlfriend, Merlen Munusamy, allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim as the beneficiary.
The insurance company opened an investigation, after which law enforcement institutions got involved.
Mhlongo said:
It was discovered that the supposed departed person was alive, and a case of fraud was reported at Berea police station. The case docket was allocated to the Hawks members for intensive investigation.
Van der Veen, Ponan and Munusamy face charges, along with 47-year-old Sifiso Gabela, a funeral parlour director.
Gabela is alleged to have asked Van der Veen to certify a dead body.
"The suspect [Van der Veen] claimed that he saw a dead body and certified it as a dead person," said Mhlongo.
The Department of Home Affairs then issued a death certificate.
Munusamy and Gabela allegedly claimed that Ponan had been cremated.
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Monday was supposed to be the start of a two-day trial.
The prosecutor, Herman Morton, said he was ready to proceed with the case.
However, Van der Veen's defence advised the court on its bid to have the charge against him dropped.
The matter was adjourned to 23 October, pending Zungu's decision.
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