A Former Medical Superintendent of the Essikado Government Hospital in the Western Region, Dr Kofi Nkegbe Ametewe, has been arrested for fraud.

YEN.com.gh understands that he defrauded the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) of an amount of GHC415,439.35.

He was consequently jailed for 10 years by a court presided over by Justice Edward Amoako Asante.

He was also ordered by the court to refund the money to the authority as soon as practicable.

Also in the dock was his brother, Francis Ametewe, who worked at the records department of Dr Ametewe’s private dental clinic at Anaji a suburb of Takoradi.

As an accomplice, he was also jailed for 5 years. According to the Prosecuting Chief State Attorney, Mrs Patience Klinogo, from July 2011 to September 2012, the convicts forged and submitted claims of about 500 NHIS card users from the private clinic of Dr Ametewe to the NHIA for payment.

She added that on April 2, 2013, Dr Ametewe issued a Unibank cheque for an amount of GH¢5,000.00 to one Dr Lydia Dsane Selby, Head of the NHIA Audit to influence her to honour his claims.

The convicts were exposed following a routine inspection by the NHIA clinical audit team. The team usually organizes an audit after claims have been submitted by both private and public hospitals and clinics from all the regions.

It was during the period of January to December 2013 that the audit team realised that Dr Ametewe had submitted the same names of NHIS card users for the Essikado Government Hospital and from his dental clinic.