Experts roped in for rehab death case
INTERNATIONAL health and medicine experts will be roped in as part of the investigation of a Durban dentist and founder of a drug rehabilitation centre, who has been charged with culpable homicide.
The founder and director of the Mind’s Alive Wellness Centre, Anwar Jeewa, was arrested in January last year after the death of Canadian Milo Martinovic, 26, who sought help at the Westville-based centre in November, 2017.
Martinovic, who was taking tranquilisers since the death of his mother, died two days after being admitted to the centre.
A post-mortem established that he had overdosed on Alprazolam (Xanax).
A toxicological report conducted showed high levels of ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychoactive substance found in plants in Gaborone, Botswana.
Ibogaine, which is illegal in South Africa, is believed to aid in the detox process.
In addition to culpable homicide, Jeewa was also charged with contravening the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act.
Last week, Jeewa and an employee, Zamangwane Hlongwane, a registered nurse who was also charged with culpable homicide, appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
The case was adjourned until September for further investigations and for the indictments to be finalised.
The Hawks’ Lieutenant-Colonel Anton Booysen testified that the State required a three-month adjournment to finalise its investigations, which required international expertise.
“Ibogaine is virtually unknown in South Africa. We require expertise from abroad, America and around the world. This is the first incident in the country, according to experts at the Department of Health. We now need to identify certain witnesses and consult with them.”
Jeewa is currently out on R20 000 bail and Hlongwane on R3 000 bail.
the facility has, since 2006, been the “leader” in the field and has treated a “range of chemical dependencies, compulsive behaviours, depression and anxiety with the use of ibogaine therapy”.
However, research suggests that it should not be used for the treatment of abuse of antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.
In a recent interview with Carte Blanche, Jeewa told investigative journalist Devi Sankaree Govender that he allowed Martinovic to continue taking one of the medications.
“I have done nothing… I told him that he could take it provided that he cut down his dosage. His dosage was a bit too high.”
Govender responded: “It is ludicrous to say you can come to my clinic, I will help you get clear, but keep your self-medication. You left him with it and he overdosed.”
When she questioned him about portraying himself as a doctor when he was actually a dentist, Jeewa lashed out.
“So you are telling me, if someone is a director to a clinic they have to be a doctor?”
Last year, Jeewa was fined R15 000 by the Health Professions Council of South Africa for practising beyond his scope.
Jeewa admitted to not having a medical doctor at the centre.
Searches at the Mind’s Alive Wellness Centre found him to be manufacturing the ibogaine in an unlicensed lab. The raw root of the iboga plant, 60kg of ibogaine and a number of schedule medicines were found.
Jeewa declined to comment.