An East London doctor who became infamous for allegedly selling sick notes to patients in her practice intends to plead not guilty to the six charges of fraud she now faces, reports DispatchLIVE.

Dr Siphokazi Sokupa appeared before Magistrate Twanette Olivier at the East London Regional Court on Monday.

After prosecutor Benedict Wilson read the six charges into the record, Sokupa (69) said she would plead not guilty and offered no plea explanation.

Her attorney, Phumelele Hole, said this was according to his instructions.

According to the charge sheet read in court, several patients who Sokupa had examined and booked off between May 2018 and 2020 had allegedly been medically fit.

In some cases she had booked patients off sick for two days. Sokupa was arrested by the Hawks in May 2020, after she was captured on video allegedly issuing fake sick notes to an undercover Hawks officer.

The investigating officer, Captain Raymond Buys, testified in 2020 during the bail hearing that the Hawks had investigated and made the arrest after receiving numerous complaints from business owners and employers about questionable sick notes.

He said Sokupa was also known for allegedly backdating sick notes for her patients.

The officer said Sokupa allegedly charged clients between R350 and R400 for the notes.

The doctor remains out on R3 000 bail.

Full DispatchLIVE report