DURBAN – Two male nurses are due to appear in court today after they were found in possession of personal items of deceased patients.
According to the police, both men are employed at private hospitals, one in Berea and the other in Umhlanga,
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said a businessman tipped police off after noticing that money was being used from a joint business account, he shared with his business partner who had been admitted to hospital.
"According to the complainant, he noticed that his partner's card was being used while he lay in hospital.
“The card was still used even after he passed away," Mbele said.
She said the first withdrawal was made at the hospital in Berea.
“Video footage was not clear enough and the investigating officer from Umbilo SAPS continued to look into the matter.
“The police officer visited one of the stores where a purchase was made and then went to another shop in Glenwood where video footage assisted in confirming that the card was used by the first accused who was dressed in uniform,” Mbele said.
The nurse was arrested and some of the items that he bought were recovered.
The suspect told the police the card was with his friend, who is the second accused in this case.
Mbele said the second suspect was also nabbed. She said this was not the nurse's first brush with the law.
"He has been arrested for other cases of theft and fraud and is wanted by the police in Cape Town on a charge of fraud.
“The second nurse has also been arrested previously for fraud," Mbele said.
She said the PIN of the bank card was saved in the deceased man's cellphone – which was later recovered at a second hand cellphone shop in Durban's Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road.
IOL