Prosper Vanhuvaone, a man from Bulawayo who spent two years posing as a medical doctor, defrauding patients and offering fake nursing placements at Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), has been sentenced to an effective 42 months’ imprisonment.
He was convicted on three counts of fraud and one count of impersonation by Bulawayo magistrate Eva Matura following a full trial.
The verdict was delivered on Tuesday, 3 June, at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court, with sentencing carried out the following day.
Vanhuvaone was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment, 18 months suspended for 5 years on condition of good behaviour, 24 months suspended on condition that he repays US$8,165 in restitution by July 30, 2025. The effective time to serve is 42 months’ imprisonment.
In mitigation, Vanhuvaone pleaded for leniency, claiming he had dropped out of medical school due to peer pressure.
He said he had since tried to lead a productive life and appealed for a non-custodial sentence.
Vanhuvaone also expressed a desire to complete his medical studies through proper channels. He said:
I own a car, have US$1 800 in savings, a house in North End, and run a private company. I am a family man and provide for my children.
In aggravation, prosecutor Samuel Mpofu argued that a custodial sentence was necessary, describing Vanhuvaone as a pathological fraudster who deliberately deceived institutions and put lives at risk. Said Mpofu:
This case is of national interest. In his previous conviction, he went by the name Prosper Mpofu, and now he goes by Prosper Vanhuvaone.
Giving him a non-custodial sentence will endanger the lives of members of the public. More so, people have lost confidence in the health system at Mpilo Hospital because of his conduct.
Court documents revealed that Vanhuvaone operated fraudulently for about two years, setting up an office at Mpilo Central Hospital and attending to patients at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
His arrest at Mpilo triggered internal investigations that exposed the full extent of the scheme.
Mpilo’s chief medical officer, Narcisius Dzvanga, expressed shock over the breach and said the hospital regrets the incident, which put patients at risk and damaged its reputation.
More: Chronicle
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