Medical students in Belize confront profound educational and financial turmoil following the criminal indictment of their university dean in a major U.S. healthcare fraud case. Dr. Mohammad Khamis, identified as Dean and CEO of American Northwest University (ANU) in Belmopan, faces multiple felony charges in Illinois for allegedly defrauding Medicaid and Medicare programs of over $1 million.
According to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Dr. Khamis operated four medical practices and pharmacies in Chicago while submitting fraudulent claims for medical services supposedly performed during periods when he was actually abroad. The services were allegedly conducted by an unlicensed student from his non-certified medical school in Bosnia.
The scandal has left Belizean students at ANU in crisis, with the university compound now locked and faculty reportedly unpaid. Students describe investing years of family savings and personal sacrifice into their medical education, only to face complete uncertainty about their academic futures.
One distressed student shared: ‘This institution was my starting point for everything. My parents fully funded my education, and now it feels like their money has been wasted. We’ve covered not just tuition but all living expenses through years of financial strain.’
Students have criticized both the university administration and Belize’s Ministry of Education for inadequate oversight, noting the institution operated without a final charter. In an anonymous collective statement, they described themselves as ‘victimized by an international fraud scheme and total lack of regulatory oversight,’ demanding immediate government intervention to secure academic records and address their precarious situation.
The Ministry of Education has acknowledged awareness of the developing situation but has not yet announced specific remedial measures for the affected students.