The Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed charges against WellMed Dialysis Center owner Bryan Christopher Sy and two others over their alleged involvement in “ghost dialysis” claims with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth).
The DoJ filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) last Monday 17 counts of estafa through falsification of public documents in violation of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
Also named as Sy’s co-accused in all 17 counts were the two whistleblowers — Edwin Roberto and Liezel Aileen De Leon.
DoJ prosecutors recommended a bail bond of P72,000 for each of the counts.
The charges were filed after Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Anna Noreen Devanadera issued a resolution last June 14 which found probable cause to indict the three over the “ghost dialysis” scam.
“The investigating prosecutor found that the Wellmed officers conspired in using falsified documents to collect payments from Philhealth for alleged medical services to patients who were already dead,” DoJ spkesman Undersecretary MarkkPerete earlier said.
The three were brought for inquest last June 11 before Devanadera following their arrest by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last June 10.
The NBI previously explained that the whistleblowers have to be charged before prosecutors ask the RTC to discharge them as state witnesses. (Jeffrey Damicog)
