Clearline HMO Denies N60M NHIS Fraud Allegation by Former Staff

Clearline HMO Denies N60M NHIS Fraud Allegation by Former Staff

Chiemelie Ezeobi

A Health Management Organisation (HMO), Clearline HMO has debunked the allegation of fraud levelled against the management by a former staff who was paraded by the police.

The Lagos State Police Command had arrested a female dismissed staff and her lover for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N60 Million, through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The couple, Ogunseye Tunde and Funmilayo Oyelaja, had after the fraudulent act escaped to Ghana to avoid being arrested.

Oyelaja, who was working with Clearline HMO Limited, based in Lagos, had allegedly diverted the funds meant for health insurance of Nigerians to her personal account.

When she was paraded by the Lagos State Commissioner of police, CP Zubairu Muazu, she accused some staff of conniving with her to steal from the government, alleging that the HMO trained their workers to cheat the system

“I have worked with Clearline International Limited since 2014 to early 2019. What we do there is that we act as the middle-man between NHIS and the hospitals. Our company cheats the system as we falsify records.

“When NHIS gives us money to pay hospitals, we do not spend all that was given to us and we do not refund the excess to NHIS purse, the company pockets the money,” she alleged.

At a briefing in its office, the company denied the allegations, claiming that the suspect was drowning and decided to drag the company’s image in the mud.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Clearline international limited, Dr. Tunde Ladele, said: “We discovered the fraud and reported to the police. We went ahead to declare her wanted and placed a N2million bounty on her head, which worked very well.

“The moment she was seen, we were called on the phone numbers provided and we contacted the police who arrested her and her lover.

“It is laughable that she is accusing the company of connivance. If we have hands or we support crime, why should we arrest her?

“To tell you that we are serious, we have handed over the three staff she indicated to the police.

“We don’t cheat the system, we don’t cheat the government and it is even impossible to cheat. Individuals would try, but we must find out as we did in Fumilayo’s case. We are willing to cooperate with the police to get to the root of the matter.

“But we don’t cheat the system or the government and that is why we have vowed to deal with any staff found culpable or indicated in this matter.”

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