Behind the verbal sparring last week between federal and state officials over policing Medicaid fraud, data shows Hawaii’s recent record on the subject is in some respects worst in the nation.
In each of the last four years, Hawaii’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has produced no indictments and no convictions for fraud — something no other state has done.
The unflattering score doesn’t completely define the achievements of Hawaii’s MFCU. But it does reflect the trouble the unit within the state Department of the Attorney General has had for over a decade internally and with state partners also policing local fraud in the massive federal health insurance program.
According to a 2019 report by the Office of Inspector General at the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Hawaii’s MFCU had “low case outcomes” and operational issues from 2016 to 2018.
And the 2019 analysis…
THE BHI TRUST PONZI SCHEME (SOUTH AFRICA)
Date: Ongoing updates through February 2026 Perpetrator: Craig Warriner (Principal), with alleged co-conspirators
Case Description: The BHI Trust scandal remains one of South Africa’s most devastating financial crimes, involving the loss of between R1.9 billion and R3 billion. Craig Warriner, the “genius trader” behind the trust, turned himself in during late 2023, but the legal and recovery battles reached a fever pitch in 2025 and 2026. Warriner operated the trust as a textbook Ponzi scheme, utilizing “Old Boy” networks and high-profile brokers to lure in pensioners and high-net-worth individuals with promises of 20% annual returns.
In early 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) faced heavy criticism for “provisionally withdrawing” charges against alleged co-conspirators Michael Haldane and Sona Pillay. However, civil recovery efforts by joint trustees have continued into 2026, aiming to claw back hundreds of millions in “fictitious profits” from early investors to redistribute to those who lost everything. The case is a masterclass in the failure of fiduciary duty; the FSCA eventually banned several advisors for up to 30 years for peddling the unlicensed scheme despite clear red flags, such as the lack of a website, the absence of regulated financial reports, and a fee structure that was triple the industry average.
Link to Original: Moneyweb – BHI Trust Scandal Deep Dive