Mum accused of defrauding insurance firm to fund daughter's cancer treatment



A mum used a health insurance card belonging to the child of a friend to fund nearly Dh200,000 of medical treatment for her cancer-stricken daughter, a court heard.

The Nepalese woman, 28, used the Emirates ID and health insurance card at a hospital in Dubai after her daughter fell ill.

The documentation belonged to the daughter of an Indian woman, 33, who said she was unaware of the insurance fraud.

The defendant was charged with the fraudulent use of official documents and deceiving an insurance company between April and June of 2018.

Her friend was charged with abetting the house wife's crimes, but denies playing any part in the offence.

Police were alerted when the insurance company became aware of the alleged fraud.

Court records stated that the Nepalese defendant admitted the fraud during police questioning.

An administrative officer at the hospital said the woman had turned up on April 29 of last year to seek treatment for her daughter, who was suffering from a high temperature.

During the visit she handed over the Emirates ID and health card of the friend's daughter when asked to provide identification.

The girl was then immediately admitted to the hospital’s emergency section and, following tests, it was found that she was suffering from leukemia.

She required chemotherapy until July.

The hospital worker said on one occasion, the patient's mother had said she had forgotten to bring her daughter's documentation when quizzed about her failure to produce it.

“The insurance company later contacted us about the identity fraud. We notified the health authority, who  summoned the housewife and her friend for questioning,” said the administrative officer.

During questioning by the health authority’s legal affairs section, the Indian friend said that on April 29 the housewife requested to use her daughter’s ID and insurance card since she and her daughter did not have health insurance, having arrived in the UAE on tourist visas.

The friend admitted that she gave the accused her daughter’s ID and card.

But she said she was not aware the housewife made copies of both and used them at the hospital for treatments.

“When the fees clocked Dh188,000 the insurance company contacted me about it, and I was astonished that she (the accused) made use of my daughter’s health insurance to access treatment for her own daughter,” she said.

Both defendants denied all charges at court.

The next hearing will be on January 16.

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
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Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

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Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Name: Qyubic
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Founder: Namrata Raina
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019

December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'

JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.

“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”

November 26:  ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’

SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue. 

SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."

October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'

MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.

“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December." 

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