A High Court in Sekondi has sentenced Dr Kofi Nkegbe Ametewe, a former medical superintendent of the Essikado Government Hospital in the Western Region to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for defrauding the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) of GH¢415,439.35.
The court presided over by Mr Justice Edward Amoako Asante also ordered the convict to refund the said amount to the Authority.
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In the dock with Dr Ametewe was his brother and accomplice, Francis Ametewe who worked at the records department of Dr Ametewe’s private dental clinic at Anaji a suburb of Takoradi.
He was also jailed five years.
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Prosecuting Chief State Attorney, Mrs Patience Klinogo told the court that from July 2011 to September 2012 the convicts forged and submitted claims of about 500 NHIS card users from the private clinic of Dr Ametewe to the NHIA for payment.
She said on April 2, 2013, Dr Ametewe issued a Unibank cheque for an amount of GH¢5,000.00 to one Dr Lydia Dsane Selby, Head of the NHIA Audit to influence her to honour his claims.
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The convicts were exposed following a routine inspection by the NHIA clinical audit team. The team usually organizes an audit after claims have been submitted by both private and public hospitals and clinics from all the regions.
It was during the period of January to December 2013 that the audit team realised that Dr Ametewe had submitted the same names of NHIS card users for the Essikado Government Hospital and from his dental clinic.