Medical doctors who have provided questionable sick notes to witnesses subpoenaed by the Madlanga inquiry could get into trouble with the commission.
The commission on Wednesday said it’s considering the option of summoning doctors who have supplied witnesses with questionable sick notes. The commission said it has noticed witnesses calling in sick.
This commission’s considerations come as a crime intelligence officer who was meant to appear on Wednesday submitted an “insufficient” medical sick note.
Chief evidence leader advocate Matthew Chaskalson raised a concern about the sick note the officer submitted.
“A concern about this application is that it is supported by a medical certificate that is practically illegible and doesn’t say in great deal to the extent that we can work out what it says,” he said.
With the risk that this may be a recurring issue ... you may want to perhaps consider at some point if this persists whether the medical practitioner who signs the certificate should not be called to come and testify,
— Sesi Baloyi, commissioner
“And we are not suggesting that the application is not bona fide [genuine]. It is a concern because there are repeated cases of witnesses who are called to testify and are unable to do so on grounds of health. From our side, it’s important that this postponement is properly motivated.”
Commissioner advocate Sesi Baloyi urged Chaskalson to engage commissioners at the appropriate time on the option of summoning doctors.
“With the risk that this may be a recurring issue, as you indicate — I mean, we have had this before, if not with this witness then with other witnesses — you may want to perhaps consider at some point if this persists whether the medical practitioner who signs the certificate should not be called to come and testify," she said.
Another witness who previously called in sick was Witness F, Sgt Fannie Nkosi, who submitted a doctor’s note claiming he was hospitalised. His testimony was rescheduled for December.
Witness F is set to testify on March 16.
Last year in October, the commission had to postpone the evidence of crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo after he fell ill and was hospitalised.
Sowetan
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