Corporate 24 boss in court for defrauding PSMAS

Source: The Herald – Breaking news. Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent Corporate 24 Hour Medical Clinic in Avondale and its chief executive Mika Joka were yesterday arraigned before the court for allegedly defrauding $108 000 from Premier Services Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) in 2021 by claiming for specialised services using wrong codes. Naison Muza, who is […]

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

Corporate 24 boss in court for defrauding PSMAS

Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

Corporate 24 Hour Medical Clinic in Avondale and its chief executive Mika Joka were yesterday arraigned before the court for allegedly defrauding $108 000 from Premier Services Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) in 2021 by claiming for specialised services using wrong codes.

Naison Muza, who is representing the company and Joka, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa charged with fraud. 

The two, through their lawyer Mr Liveours Mundieta, pleaded not guilty and with the consent of the State, bail was set at $500 000 each and Muza and Joka were remanded until July 28 pending finalisation of investigations.

The complainant is PSMAS being represented by its principal officer and managing director Dr Nixjoen Mapesa.

 The State led by Mr Tawanda Nyandoro alleged that PSMAS registered medical institutions nationwide to offer services on its behalf.

Procedurally, PSMAS members would visit Corporate 24 Hour Medical Clinic for services and the specialist would then claim to PSMAS through codes 02558, 02568, 2291 and 02292.

The Association of Health Care Funders of Zimbabwe (AFhOZ) was quite clear that codes 02291 and 02292, which are for non-emergency services, could not be claimed with codes 02558 and 02568, which are for emergency services.

In 2021, PSMAS engaged the services of a forensic auditor, RUG Auditors, who carried out an audit for 2015 to 2022 and that allegedly revealed that Joka was making fraudulent claims to PSMAS by rendering non-emergency services to PSMAS members using emergency codes.

Resultantly, PSMAS was prejudiced of $108 860.