‘Fake’ doctor who worked in Omagh ordered to pay back £400,000

A ‘fake’ doctor who lived and worked in Omagh has been ordered to pay back £406,624 or spend two and half more years in prison.

Zholia Alemi, 63, was found guilty of 13 counts of fraud, two counts of forgery, three counts of deception and two counts of using material to falsify medical qualifications at Manchester Crown Court and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in February 2023.

For over 20 years Alemi worked as an NHS psychiatrist in hospitals throughout the UK, earning income and benefits over £1m.

She never held the medical qualifications necessary to undertake these roles.

The fake doctor, who is originally from Iran and whose most recent address was in Burnley, England, worked at both the Tyrone County Hospital and Omagh General Hospital from June 1998.

At that time, both hospitals were operated by the now-defunct Sperrin and Lakeland Trust.

Alemi had a home in Castle Oaks in Omagh which was searched during the investigation where police say they discovered a ‘plethora’ of incriminating evidence that included a forgery kit along with a blank degree certificate from the University of Auckland and documents and other papers regarding her employment.

These searches directly lead to Alemi being charged with 13 counts of fraud, three counts of forgery and two charges of using a false instrument.

Cumbria Police obtained evidence to prove that Alemi forged her medical qualifications purportedly gained at the University of Auckland to gain entry to the GMC register.

Alemi had dropped out of her university course after the first year. Registration with the GMC enabled her to gain employment in various UK hospitals.

Alemi joined the medical register in the UK under a section of the Medical Act which has not been used since 2003.

Legislation in force until 2003 allowed graduates from medical schools in certain Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand, to obtain registration to practise in the UK based on a qualification in their originating country.

As a result, Alemi did not have to sit and pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board exam (PLAB), an assessment of skills which is usually required of doctors who qualified abroad.

The Judge determined the following: Zholia Alemi – Total criminal benefit: £1,204,819.30, Available amount: £406,624, Confiscation Order: £406,624

Adrian Foster of the Crown Prosecution said: “We have robustly pursued the proceeds of crime with the NHS Counter Fraud Authority and have identified all the assets that she has available to pay her order.

“Alemi had little regard for patient welfare. She used forged New Zealand medical qualifications to obtain employment as an NHS psychiatrist for 20 years. In doing so, she must have treated hundreds of patients when she was unqualified to do so, potentially putting those patients at risk.

“Her fraudulent actions also enabled her to dishonestly earn income and benefits more than £1m, to which she was not entitled. She cheated the public purse and £406,624 will be paid in compensation to the NHS.”

“In the last five years, over £478 million has been recovered from CPS-obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot profit from their offending. £95 million of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.”