FOUR of six foreigners who might or might not be doctors, and who are charged with racketeering and money laundering, were granted bail yesterday.

Middelburg regional court magistrate Mark Botha denied Daniele Monde of Zambia and Akinloye Eweoya bail. He granted Rasheed Olawale Aremu, Chukwu Emeka Okafor, Valentine Chike Ezulu and Boladele Olotu bail of R20000 each.

They face charges including racketeering and money laundering; medical aid fraud; fraud regarding illegal immigration regulations; the Health Protection Act; the Medicine Control Act and theft of state medication.

Botha said the case "gave me sleepless nights". He said by refusing to take the stand the applicants gave him little to work on. All were staying in the country illegally.

Botha said Okafor entered South Africa legally but his current status was illegal. He said Okafor did not appear to be a doctor.

The court did not know Eweoya's date of entry into the country but Botha said he had been married to a South African woman for 10 years. Botha said Monde had not presented proof that he was a doctor.

Ezulu was a qualified doctor who had entered the country legally in 2007 but had not extended his stay.

Aremu was described as the syndicate's mastermind.

He entered the country as an asylum seeker and managed to register as a doctor.

He allowed members of the syndicate to use his identity. He married a local woman but divorced her and married a Nigerian woman.

The case was postponed to May 11.