Fake Doctor arrested

A 44-year-old fake medical practitioner, "Dr" William James
Mayor Tony Blair,has been arrested.

THE Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC),apprehended "Dr" Blair, and handed him over to the Accra Central Police Command for investigations and prosecution.

Blair is said to have used fake certificates to practise as a medical officer at the Siloan Mission Clinic in the Jomoro District of the Western Region between February and December 31,2006, without registering with the GMDC, as prescribed by the Medical and Dental Council Decree 1972 (NRCD 91).

He is to face charges of illegal practice of medicine, possession of forged documents and false assumption of title as a medical practitioner.

Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Greater Accra Regional Operational Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said last Tuesday, January 29, 2008, Mr Ben Ameleke, a retired police officer currently working with the GMDC, arrested Tony Blair, for possessing photocopies of two fake certificates he allegedlv obtained from the University of Michigan Medical School in the United States.

Blair had gone to present the certificates to the GMDC to enable him to write its certificate examination scheduled for February 23, 2008 after he had registered on January 13, 2008,

Chief Supt Yohuno said Blair wanted to be registered as a member of the .council, which is the regulatory body of the Ministry of Health (MoH), to enable him to practise in Ghana as a medical doctor.

According to him, since the purpose of the GMDC was to prevent illegal practice of medicine in Ghana, it took pains to verify "Dr" Blair's certificates and subsequently discovered that the documents were fake ones. ' ,

Explaining, Chief Supt Yohuno said one of the certificates stated that Blair had studied medicine between 1988 and 1992 at the University of Michigan, where he was awarded a doctorate degree, while the other indicated that he was admitted to the Medical School of the same university to specialise in Neurology between January 12, 1995 and March, 1999. '

The police cop stated that at the corner of the doctorate certificate was the inscription: "Ministry of Health, Washington, DC", which strengthened the GMDC's suspicion that the certificates were fake because Michigan and Washington, DC, were two different states in the United States of America.

He said during police interrogation, Blair confirmed that he had practiced at the Siloan Mission Clinic on the Half Assini road between February and December 31, 2006 without registering with the GMDC, in a clear violation of the law.

Chief Supt Yohuno said when Blair applied to the GMDC, he was booked to attend an interview on January 25, 2008 but he failed to show up.

He said 011 January 28, 2008, the Registrar of the GMDC, Dr Eli Atikpui, certified that the two certificates the suspect had presented to the council were fake.

According to him, the following day, the council invited Blair for the interview, during which he was arrested and handed over to the police.