An 85-year-old doctor, charged with issuing a fake death certificate in 2020 so a Durban man’s girlfriend could fraudulently claim R6.5m in life cover, has denied any wrongdoing, and says he is too old to stand trial.
Dr Eric van der Veen is one of four people charged with fraud in a case involving the illegal claim of R6.5m from Old Mutual.
News24 reports that Van der Veen has approached the KZN Director of Public Prosecutions, Elaine Zungu, to have his name removed from the list of accused, with his lawyer, Advocate Paddy Prior, saying it was “not in the interest of justice for my client to remain an accused, especially given his advanced age”.
“He had nothing to do with the fraudulent claim.”
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said Emmanuel Ponan (34) had taken out a R6.5m policy in February 2020, and then faked his own death.
Three months later, his girlfriend, Merlen Munusamy, allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim as the beneficiary.
The insurance company opened an investigation, and when it was discovered that Ponan was alive, a case of fraud was reported and the docket allocated to the Hawks.
Van der Veen, Ponan and Munusamy face charges, along with Sifiso Gabela, a funeral parlour director, who had allegedly asked Van der Veen to certify a dead body.
The Department of Home Affairs then issued a death certificate, and, according to Munusamy and Gabela, Ponan was cremated.
Monday was supposed to be the start of a two-day trial, but 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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