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WATCH: ‘I honestly didn’t mean harm’- Dr Matthew Lani tries to talk himself out of arrest
A video allegedly showing Lani being confronted was posted on TikTok.
Dr Matthew Lani landed in hot water with the police after the Gauteng Department of Health opened a criminal case against him. Picture: LinkedIn
A video seemingly showing controversial bogus doctor “Dr Matthew Lani” trying to talk himself out of arrest has emerged online.
The Gauteng Health Department confirmed on Sunday the social media influencer was nabbed by security personnel at the Helen Joseph Hospital after he attempted to enter the facility.
“Lani was caught just before 8pm disguised in a hoodie and wearing a surgical mask with a stethoscope around his neck,” the department said.
ALSO READ: 7 things you should know about Matthew Lani
A video allegedly showing Lani being confronted was posted on TikTok and shared widely online.
In it, a hospital official can be heard telling a man resembling Lani that he had entered into a theatre and changing room in the hospital, to which he nods in agreement.
“I am very sorry for that, mam. Like, I honestly did not mean harm. I truly didn’t,” he responds.
He told that he was warned about impersonating a doctor and still tried to enter the hospital, to which he denied ever pretending to be someone else and said he had changed his name.
He is asked to give a statement saying he had entered the hospital and is sorry. He reacts by exclaiming: “At the end of the day, you guys have already pressed charges. I am really sorry”.
“I am not doing anything. I have never seen patients,” he adds, begging them to not press charges.
The department said Lani entered the hospital to “curate misleading content under the pretense he was a qualified doctor”.
Once nabbed, Lani reportedly asked to use the bathroom, where he tried to jump out of a window.
“When security realised he was making a run for it, they called for reinforcement and he was apprehended again.”
Police were called and Lani was formally arrested.
Why all the fuss?
Lani got famous on social media sites such as TikTok , where he dispensed medical advice and recommendations. Among other topics, he shared “expert” knowledge on HIV prevention and management
ALSO READ: Gauteng health, Dr Zingelwa open criminal case against ‘Dr Matthew Lani’
His credentials were called into question earlier this month amid claims he was impersonating Dr Sanele Zingelwa, which he claimed was his “legal name” registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Several institutions, including Wits University and the HPCSA distanced themselves from him.A case of impersonating a medical doctor was then opened by the Gauteng health department against Lani at the Brixton Police Station. A second case was opened by Zingelwa.
