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Jakarta Post

'Fake' Australian chiropractors face multiple charges

Shut off: Jakarta Police investigators seal the Chiropractic First clinic in Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta on Jan

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, January 29, 2016

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'Fake' Australian chiropractors face multiple charges Shut off: Jakarta Police investigators seal the Chiropractic First clinic in Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta on Jan. 7 after the death of a patient last year. (Kompas.com/Dian Ardiahanni) (Kompas.com/Dian Ardiahanni)

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span class="inline inline-center">Shut off: Jakarta Police investigators seal the Chiropractic First clinic in Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta on Jan. 7 after the death of a patient last year. (Kompas.com/Dian Ardiahanni)

Two Australian nationals faced multiple charges for allegedly operating illegal chiropractic clinics and working as chiropractors in Indonesia, a top police investigator said on Thursday.

Brothers Antony Dawson and Thomas Dawson, who own six clinics of Chiropractic Indonesia, had allegedly violated the Medical Practice, Labor, Health and Immigration laws, Jakarta Police's general crime director Sr. Comr. Krisna Murti said.

Anthony worked as the director of the clinic while Thomas worked as a chiropractic consultant according to their temporary residence permits. However, in reality both of them treated patients as chiropractors, Krishna said.

They started their illegal business in 2002 charging expensive rates for chiropractic therapy sessions. According to the preliminary investigation, both chiropractors charged Rp 20 million ($1,441) to Rp 27 million for one treatment package.

"They violated regulations yet they made a lot of money here. We may also charge them with money laundering because they transferred the money they got here to another country," Krisnha said in a press conference at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Thursday.

Police had also gathered information from six patients complaining about the service of the clinics run by the Dawson brothers. Police would summon them for further questioning, investigator Adj. Sr. Comr Suparmo said.

The Dawsons were arrested by investigators on Wednesday night in Jakarta. Both chiropractors acquired their Foreign Workers Employment Permits from sponsor PT Inti Sehat Tama Sejahtera. Police are still investigating the company to determine whether it is a real company.

Chiropractic Indonesia's five Jakarta branches are in Dharmawangsa, Pacific Place, Gandaria City, Permata Senayan and Lotte Shopping Avenue while one clinic is in Bali. All of the clinics have been shut down by the police following the arrests.

Frimet F. Aruan, residence permit and immigration status director at the Immigration Directorate General of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry said last week that the government never issued medical practice permits for foreign medical doctors.

The arrests followed joint raids by Police, Jakarta Health Office, Jakarta Manpower and Transmigration Office and Directorate General of Immigration officials on illegal clinics across the capital in the wake of the death of a patient following treatment at an unlicensed chiropractic clinic last year.

Allya Siska Nadya died in August after having therapy sessions in the Chiropractic First Clinic in Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta. After an autopsy and investigation, Jakarta Police named American chiropractor Randall Cafferty a suspect in alleged malpractice.

Police also named Malaysian national Khan Wain Min as the owner of the unlicensed clinic and for hiring foreigners as medical practitioners. Police believe they both have left the country. Police have so far closed down 20 unlicensed clinics across the capital.(rin)

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