Bergman Ross Partners, a radiology company based in Cape Town, which operates as Quest Medical Imaging in Ghana, was confronted with them and is in the process of multiple investigations for unethical business practices that span both countries.
The Health Professions Council of South Africa discovered the company guilty of unprofessional conduct and fraud, thereby leading to a number of fines being imposed on them.
The company, led by Dr. Jack Bergman, were questioned by South African’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission regarding the allegations of fronting.
In South Africa, the act of employing a black person as a front to gain business advantages is considered a criminal offense and the perpetrator(s) are punished with a jail term.
Referring to the court documents, BRP was approached with an offer of business by Dr. Motshudi, a black radiologist, to set up their practice within the Netcare hospital group.
The parties were at the stage of signing a 50% equity-sharing agreement, but BRP later claimed 74% ownership without Motshudi’s knowledge or consent, as per the affidavits and the minutes of the meeting.
The scope of the inquiry has been expanded to cover BRP’s activities in Ghana, particularly the $3 million International Finance Corporation loan for Quest Medical Imaging in Accra.
The issue is whether BRP submitted falsified paperwork as loan collateral considering that there are internal documents indicating ownership disputes dating back to 2018.
