Bogus doctor Matthew Lani caught entering Helen Joseph Hospital with a stethoscope. Image by MDN NEWS/X
‘Lying is not an offense’: NPA ‘defends’ bogus doctor Matthew Lani?
Bogus Dr Matthew Lani was arrested at Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday, 29 October and he is now a free man!
Bogus doctor Matthew Lani caught entering Helen Joseph Hospital with a stethoscope. Image by MDN NEWS/X
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has defended its decision for not prosecuting TikTok influencer and bogus doctor Matthew Lani.
The 27-year-old was arrested on Sunday, 29 October at the Helen Joseph Hospital and he appeared at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 31 October.
NPA ON WHY CHARGES AGAINST MATTHEW LANI WERE DROPPED
Speaking to the media outside court, NPA spokesperson in Gauteng Phindi Mjonondwane said you cannot be charged for lying as lying is not an offence unless you are lying under oath.
Mjonondwane said there is currently no evidence to sustain the charge or link Lani to the alleged offence of impersonating a personality.
“We have instructed the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) to conduct certain investigations and once complied with, the docket will be brought back to the NPA for a decision on whether or not criminal proceedings should be instituted against the suspect,” Mjonondwane said.
WATCH: Bogus doctor Matthew Lani has been arrested
HPCSA DISASSOCIATES ITSELF WITH BOGUS DOCTOR
In October, Lani was exposed after the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) disassociated itself stating that he does not appear in its registers.
The University of the Witwatesrand also requested the TikTok influencer to retract his claims that he studied there with immediate effect after Lani claimed he studied Medicine at the prestigious institution between 2014 and 2021.
ALSO READ: Gauteng Health opens criminal case against bogus Dr Matthew Lani
The Gauteng Department of Education also confirmed that there is no existing record of a National Senior Certificate (NSC), or matric certificate, for Matthew Bongani Lani, who has been masquerading on social media as a medical practitioner.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department’s official records indicate that Matthew Bongani Lani was initially enrolled at Bordeaux Primary School in Randburg in 2007. However, he was referred to Gresswold Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) School in Kew, Johannesburg in January 2010.
