A man who burned his 2002 Ford Mustang in March 2003 has been convicted of Arson and Public Mischief, fined $1,200 and ordered to pay restitution to Manitoba Public Insurance in the amount of $26,129.

Danny Dimko Atanasovic, now 22 years of age, admitted to the offences when he appeared before Judge Sidney Lerner in Provincial Judges Court last week.

Evidence showed Atanasovic was having trouble meeting the lease payments so he decided to burn the vehicle and claim that it had been stolen. He drove the vehicle to a remote location near Marquette and after setting it ablaze, made a theft report to the local RCMP office and a claim for benefits to Manitoba Public Insurance.

The restitution order covers the amount the public insurer paid to the leasing company for the loss. The charges were laid after a lengthy investigation by the Special Investigation Unit of Manitoba Public Insurance, working in cooperation with the Headingley RCMP.  

“Manitobans who are tempted to cheat on their Autopac claims should be aware that we do actively investigate, and that there are serious consequences,” said Randy Bell, manager of Manitoba Public Insurance’s Special Investigation Unit. “Because 85 per cent of our premium dollars go toward paying claims, we investigate to make sure that the claims we pay out are legitimate.”

Manitoba’s justice system has taken a tough stand against fraud, as evidenced in $38,000 in fines ordered between March 1, 2005 and February 28, 2006. The Crown attorney seconded to Manitoba Public Insurance also secured $67,000 in restitution orders from Manitoba courts.

Bell said some of the $12.5 million saved by Manitoba Public Insurance last year through discovery of fraudulent claims came as the result of public contact through a confidential Tips Line and e-mail service. Manitobans can anonymously report fraudulent claims by calling 985-8477 in Winnipeg, 1-877-985-8477 outside Winnipeg or email tips@mpi.mb.ca

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Contact:
Media Relations, Manitoba Public Insurance
(204) 985-7300 or 1-888-554-9549 (toll-free in Manitoba)