Woman posed as doctor for almost 20 years with fake documents
A woman has been found guilty of posing as a qualified doctor for more than 20 years - earning more than £1 million from the NHS.
Zholia Alemi, who is believed to be 60, forged documents claiming to be a psychiatrist and submitted them to the General Medical Council (GMC) in 1995.
In her time posing as a doctor, she earned between £1 million and £1.3 million from the NHS, a court heard.
Jurors at Manchester Crown Court were told Alemi falsified two documents, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree (MB chB) from the University of Auckland, dated 1992 and a letter of verification supposedly written by the Faculty Registrar at the same university in New Zealand.
She used her false documents to apply for registration as a doctor in the UK, using the commonwealth route through the GMC. This allowed her to work either through the NHS or through recruitment agencies.
Alemi practised medicine even though she had never passed or achieved the relevant university qualification and was not a properly qualified doctor.
She also worked as a locum consultant at Livewell Southwest, a private hospital for those with learning disabilities in Plymouth, during her 22-year stint in the medical profession.
Chris Stables, prosecuting, said: “She is, say the prosecution, a most accomplished forger and fraudster, but has no qualification that would allow her to be called, or in any way to be properly regarded as, a doctor.
“As you will see, the defendant has held posts and has been paid as a doctor by health trusts and authorities across the length and breadth of the country.”
The court heard that without the six years of study to get the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB chB), practitioners cannot legitimately advance further or be regarded as a doctor.
According to official documentation from the University of Auckland, Alemi had enrolled in 1988 and completed her Bachelor of Human Biology degree in May 1992.
She later enrolled on the MB chB and passed the first year, but failed the second and her performance meant she wasn’t allowed to repeat the year or finished the course.
The letter of verification she used was found to have a number of spelling errors, such as ‘Faculty Regitrar’ and ‘varify’.
The supposed author, Susan Cathersides, had also moved to a different post when the document was created.
Police searched Alemi’s home in 2019 where they found a briefcase containing part of a “forger’s kit” including dry transfer letters from WHSmith and documents which were ‘practice versions’ of a forged certificate.
Alemi later went onto work as a psychiatrist and was admitted to the Royal College of Psychiatrists after passing the relevant exams using her fake MB ChB qualification.
Mr Stables concluded: “In reality, this defendant was at all times posing as a psychiatrist despite not having a medical degree."
In November 2018, the GMC withdrew her licence to practise as a doctor, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists terminated her membership within days of the forgeries coming to light.
Giving evidence at the trial, Alemi pleaded not guilty. She claimed all of the documents were genuine and told the court she moved to the UK and sent documents to the GMC in 1995.
Francis FitzGibbon KC, defending, said: “Did you forge this document?"
Alemi replied: “No, I didn’t."
Alemi was also asked about the spelling mistakes, spelt verify as “varify” and referred to “six years medical trainee with satisfactory grade”,
Alemi said: “I don’t think this letter could be produced by somebody who has got even just a Bachelor’s degree from Auckland University.
“It is an English-speaking university, you cannot pass your exams without knowing English and this letter, to me, is very unusual.”
Alemi was previously convicted of three fraud offences in October 2018. The jury in that case was told she forged a will to make herself the beneficiary and forged signatures on applications to hold power of attorney.
She was sentenced to five years in prison after re-drafting the 84-year-old woman’s will.
Following her first conviction, the GMC apologised for “inadequate” checks made in the 1990s and for “any risk arising to patients as a result”.
Today (February 15), after just under seven hours of deliberations, jurors returned guilty verdicts on the 20-count indictment which includes two offences of forgery; two offences of using a false instrument; three offences of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception; and 13 offences of fraud by false representation.
Alemi denied forging her degree certificate, telling the jury she did not fail any exams in the six-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery course.
Judge Hilary Manley said: “It was very serious offending of deliberate and wicked deception, perpetrated to various authorities including the GMC, which has allowed this defendant to practise in a position over potentially very vulnerable people for a long period of time.
“Ms Alemi, I will sentence you for this very grave offending. There is only one possible sentence I can pass on you, and that is a sentence of immediate custody for some substantial length.”
Alemi, of Plumbe Street, Burnley, Lancashire, will be sentenced on February 28 and has been remanded into custody.
Janice Wild, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Alemi used forged New Zealand medical qualifications to obtain employment as a UK NHS psychiatrist for 20 years.
"In doing so, she must have treated hundreds of patients when she was unqualified to do so, potentially putting them at risk.
“Her fraudulent actions also enabled her to dishonestly earn income and benefits in excess of £1 million, to which she was not entitled.
“We will now pursue confiscation proceedings against her aiming to recover the criminal property from which she has benefited.”