Investigator dares police on fake reports
A private investigator has dared to provide Malawi Police Service (MPS) with evidence that some of its officers are implicated in issuance of bogus police reports to claim injury compensations.
Kingston Lapukeni has been probing the alleged scheme where lawyers and medical practitioners are also implicated on behalf of some manufacturing companies.
He was reacting to National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera who this week told The Nation that no one has provided the police with proof that some of their officers are involved in the malpractice.
Kadadzera said it was difficult for them to take up the matter without evidence that some of their officers were helping to manufacture fake reports of motor vehicle accidents or personal injuries in factories to defraud manufacturers and insurance companies.
But the private investigator said in an interview he has 100 plus examples which he would submit to police upon approval by his clients.
“I have the investigation report with me ready, and when I get the clearance, I will help the police with my findings. Actually, there was also a case in the hands of police here in Blantyre which was being investigated about fake police reports. And this matter was once in the media. I will also provide these details to police,” Lapukeni challenged.
Kadadzera in a follow up interview said he did not dismiss the claims, but that he was demanding proof.
“It’s not like we are defending anyone, but we want something practical. If we discover that indeed there are some officers involved, and it is proved, obviously the law can take its course,” he said.
Insurance Association of Malawi this week disclosed that fake insurance claims relating to road accidents and injury claims in manufacturing industries has cost them K5 billion in 2019 alone.
The association’s president Bywell Chiwoni in an interview described the scheme as big and complicated, explaining that conspirators include ‘ambulance chasers’, lawyers, medical doctors and some police officers.
He said the scheme initially concentrated on road accidents but it has now moved to manufacturing industries where some ‘planted agents’ take recorded personal injuries to lawyers who file the cases to court, sometimes without the knowledge and instructions of those injured.
Chiwoni said a claim whose real cost would be K100 000 sometimes goes up to millions, and when default judgements are passed the insurance firms are not served with summons, they just see sheriffs knocking on the door.
“In a worst case scenario, we also have our own officers in the insurance industry who are involved in these bogus claims. It’s complicated, we are working hard to get to the bottom of this and put a stop to it,” he said.
Chiwoni disclosed that there is a task force some manufacturers have formed to investigate the syndicate and he was aware this team was working hard to bring evidence.
Ministry of Labour late last year accused medical personnel and lawyers of their involvement in making unsolicited claims for injuries in the workplace.
