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The
file had been paid out and closed
back in 1998. But thanks to an anonymous
tip provided to Manitoba Public
Insurance, a Winnipeg man now finds
himself with a criminal conviction
and owing the public insurer $18,000.
Hardam
Dhillion, of Winnipeg, entered a
guilty plea yesterday in provincial
court to making a false statement
regarding an insurance claim.
Dhillion,
48, was fined $1,200 and signed
a promissory note to Manitoba Public
Insurance in the amount of $18,000.
CIRCUMSTANCES:
On Aug. 11, 1998, Dhillion opened
a claim with Manitoba Public Insurance,
stating his vehicle had been heavily
damaged after colliding with a vehicle
and then a garage.
He
told his adjuster that his wife
had been operating the vehicle and
lost control of it while in reverse.
The Dhillion vehicle crashed heavily
into another vehicle, which then
struck and injured three pedestrians.
The
Dhillion vehicle then drove forward
into a garage, sustaining extensive
damage. Dhillion’s vehicle
was written off and he was paid
a total of $18,000 by the public
insurer.
Nearly
2 ½ years later, thanks to
a tip provided to Manitoba Public
Insurance, the file was re-opened
by the Special Investigation Unit.
The investigation revealed that
Dhillion’s wife could not
have been operating the vehicle
as previously stated because employment
records confirmed she had been working
at the time of the collision.
Dhillion
was subsequently charged with making
a false statement.
“Honest
Manitobans shouldn’t have
to pay for the fraudulent actions
of a few,” said Randy Bell,
Manager of the SIU. “It’s
our responsibility to our policy
holders to protect them from the
cost of fraud.”
Last
year SIU’s 17 specially trained
investigators opened 2,454 files.
MPI’s TIPS Line, which was
introduced in 1998, has proven to
be a success with Manitobans calling
in about 60 tips a month. These
calls resulted in about 485 investigations,
saving premium payers about $209,354.
Manitoba
Public Insurance’s TIPS Line
is: 1-877-985-8477 (toll free),
or 985-8477 (Winnipeg).
Contact:
Brian Smiley/Twila Allen
Media Relations
Manitoba Public Insurance
(204) 985-7678/7300 or 1-888-554-9549
(toll-free in Manitoba) |
