Sitting in the imposing glass dock of Manchester Crown Court, Zholia Alemi held her head in her hands and wept.
Once she was a high-flying psychiatrist, working in the health service for over twenty years, helping hundreds of patients up and down the country - but it was all based on a lie.
The accomplished fraudster owned multiple properties, collected expensive bottles of Champagne and drove a red Lotus sports car.
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She even became a consultant and was approved under section 12 of the Mental Health Act, bestowing upon her the power to bring about the detention of patients against their will and prescribe powerful drugs.
But, it was a brazenly and blatantly home-crafted degree certificate, uncovered by an investigative journalist from Cumbria, which unravelled her deceit and resulted in her conviction of multiple offences of fraud and forgery.
Today (February 28) she is starting her seven-year stretch in prison.
An elderly widow, her £1.3m estate and concerns about her ‘doctor friend’
It was 2016 when a carer reported concerns about Alemi, who was working as a locum psychiatrist at the time in Cumbria.
Her 84-year-old patient had been referred to the ‘doctor’ to carry out an assessment on her cognitive functions and skills, for suspected dementia.
The elderly woman, a widow, with little by way of close family, became close with Alemi, her ‘doctor friend’, who helped her with day-to-day activities.
The extent of her estate was £1.3 million - and it was targeted by Alemi. Following an investigation into the terms of her will following her death, all but £10,000 remained.
It later became clear that Alemi had forged a fake Will in the woman’s name. She’d sent the majority of the funds to her grandchildren in the United States.
A trial subsequently took place at Carlisle Crown Court in 2018, resulting in Alemi being found guilty of attempted possession of an article for use in fraud for lasting power of attorney, forgery of a will and theft of bank cards. She was jailed for five years.
Covering the case was Chief Reporter Phil Coleman, of Cumbria’s News and Star.
Despite holding herself out as a consultant psychiatrist he found it ‘staggering’ that someone in her position would commit such an offence.
He decided to investigate further and found much more than he bargained for.
A local journalist’s persistence
In November 2018, Mr Coleman contacted the University of Auckland in New Zealand, where Alemi had supposedly gained her medical degree.
These enquiries confirmed his suspicions - she was not a qualified doctor.
He approached the General Medical Council, who have an office based in Manchester, with his findings, and so an investigation was eventually launched.
The results of the investigation confirmed the information he provided was true, and Cumbria Police began their own criminal investigations.
Alemi was struck off by the GMC and the Royal College of Psychiatrists terminated her membership within days of the forgeries coming to light.
“It’s right to say this defendant went through the Carlisle trial and held herself out as a consultant but was convicted,” prosecutor Christopher Stables said.
“After the second case heard by this jury, the proceedings came about by the direct result of the persistence of Mr Coleman and investigative journalism. He is to be applauded for that.”
The police’s findings
As part of the police’s investigations they delved into Alemi’s many assets, including a house in Northern Ireland.
On Castle Oaks, in Omagh, was one of the first houses owned by Alemi, and hid a few surprises.
Obtaining a search warrant, officers came across heaps of documents, some of which were in an understairs cupboard. One of the documents included a certified copy of an entry in the register of medical practitioners, dated May 17 1999.
This document proved that Alemi’s name was included in the Principal List of the register of medical practitioners within the UK. It refers to her and indicates that her degree was ‘MBChB 1992 Auckland’.
Also found was a letter purporting to be from a private hospital in New Zealand saying Misss (misspelled with three s's) Alemi had worked there. There was also a certificate in computer science from Auckland University with various details left blank.
They also found the fake letter of verification from a ‘S A Cathersides’, a blank degree certificate from the University of Auckland, the fake certificate (which seemed to be a practice copy), and a forger’s kit.
Complete with sheets of dry transfer letters, which are used for creating lettering on documents, it became clear what Alemi had been doing.
The blatant lies of a ‘highly manipulative and cunning’ fraudster
Alemi moved to New Zealand in the 1990s from Iran.
Her age is unknown, due to multiple dates of birth given on different identity documents, though prosecutors stated she is ‘in her 60s’.
According to official documentation from the university, Alemi enrolled in 1988 and completed her Bachelor of Human Biology, regarded as the first part of the course, in May 1992.
She later enrolled on the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery course (MBChB) and passed the first year, but failed the second and due to her performance, was not allowed to repeat the year, or complete the course. The MBChB course was mandatory for those wishing to pursue a career in the healthcare field.
It requires successfully completing six years of intense study and all relevant exams to be passed before the qualification is rewarded.
But Alemi failed to complete the course successfully and did not achieve the degree.
By April 1995 she had moved to the UK and was seeking work as a housekeeper. Between April and September she sent that forged degree, and letter of verification, to the GMC via the ‘Commonwealth route’.
Whilst this was a route that was abolished in 2003, it was a legitimate route and one by which doctors could obtain valid registration if the correct and valid qualifications had been achieved.
Such valid registration even by the Commonwealth Route however, could only be obtained if the degree of MBChB was held and was a genuine qualification.
She was so registered and began a 22-year long career, holding down hundreds of posts both in the NHS and private health care providers all over the country.
These posts included a stint in 2001 at the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. In her time there she took £67,722.
Analysis of the forged documents by various experts showed that Alemi had made obvious mistakes.
In the photocopy of the degree certificate, which has been shared with the Manchester Evening News, it shows that the date of the degree states ‘Fifth of May 1992’ which was incorrect as Alemi had failed the course.
The text "BACHELOR OF MEDICINE AND BACHELOR OF SURGERY" on the copy also showed irregularities, such that at least some of the text was derived from dry transfer lettering rather than conventional printing.
The expert indicated that he would not expect a genuine degree certificate to use dry transfer lettering as part of its legitimate printing process.
In the letter of verification, it was found to have a number of spelling errors including the author being the ‘Faculty Regitrar’, who wrote to ‘varify’ she had completed six years of training with ‘satisfactory grade’.
It was signed by Susan Cathersides, who had moved to a different post at the time when the document was created. Experts also said that the signature had been produced using multiple overlying strokes of blue ballpoint pen; features normally associated with a copied signature.
Using these plainly fake documents, Alemi was able to obtain roles that saw her treat many patients, some of which were vulnerable.
The GMC and their ‘abject failure of scrutiny’
Following Alemi’s conviction, Judge Hilary Manley raised concerns about the level of scrutiny the GMC had of the forged documents.
She asked for a statement from a representative, explaining what had happened at the time.
Speaking at the sentence hearing, she said: “Anyone who took more than a cursory glance at the purported degree and letter of verification should have prompted at least a telephone call to the University of Auckland to check and make full enquiries.
“The information provided by the GMC has been less than helpful.”
She said that during the trial, a representative gave evidence at which they said documents had always had a ‘high level of scrutiny’ and there was no reason to think Alemi’s documents had ‘escaped’ those rigorous checks.
However, in a statement provided to the judge by the GMC, it said: “In the mid 1990s these documents were not subject to the rigorous checks now in place. It’s clear the process almost three decades ago was inadequate. 27 years on, the GMC system is much more robust.”
In sentencing Alemi, Judge Manley said: “The quality of the spelling, grammar and printing in that document [the letter of verification] should have alerted even the most casual reader that something was very much amiss, but, for whatever reason, it appears even the most basic checks, such as a telephone call or letter to the School of Medicine, which would have confirmed immediately that the Registrar named in the letter was no longer in post, and that in any event you had not completed your degree, were not carried out.
“That the degree certificate and supporting letter were accepted by the GMC represents an abject failure of scrutiny.”
The judge called for the GMC to conduct a “thorough, open, transparent” inquiry into how the defendant was able to submit “such clearly false documents” and why it took a journalist rather than a professional governing body to uncover the truth.
Judge’s words to Alemi
In sentencing the emotional Alemi, who cried during the remarks, Judge Manley said: “In 2016, the position you had managed to reach enabled you to take advantage of a vulnerable patient, and you forged a Will and other documents in order to benefit financially.
“You were caught out and after a trial you were convicted and sentenced to a period of five years’ imprisonment.
“It was only after that trial, and due to the investigations of a local journalist, that the truth was uncovered: that you had never actually qualified as a doctor.
“When the police searched your house in Northern Ireland, they found a plethora of highly incriminating items: obviously forged and altered degree certificates, letters, references, and a forger’s kit of dry transfer letters.
“You were first interviewed in June 2019 by the police in relation to the offences of which you have now been convicted. At that time you were eight months into the sentence you were serving. You could have accepted your guilt at that point, but you did not, despite the overwhelming evidence against you.
“I have had the opportunity to observe you during the course of this four week trial. I have seen letters in which reference to your autism is mentioned, although I have not been provided with a formal diagnosis, and you will recall that measures were put in place to assist you at trial.
“Your autism however does not preclude you from also being highly manipulative and cunning.
“I also note that during the course of the trial, through your lawyers, you sought to portray almost every prosecution witness as inept or dishonest, and called into question the integrity and impartiality of an expert witness. You are of course not to be punished for that, but I am entitled to take it into account when assessing whether you have any remorse (you do not) or insight (you have none).”
She added that her offences had ‘doubtlessly’ led to a loss of trust and confidence in the NHS and other healthcare providers.
"We are very sorry”
Una Lane, Director of Registration and Revalidation at the GMC, said: “We are very sorry that Zholia Alemi was able to join our medical register in the 1990s, based on fraudulent documentation, and for any risk arising to patients as a result.
“Our processes are far stronger now, with rigorous testing in place to make sure those joining the register are fit to work in the UK. It is clear that in this case the steps taken almost three decades ago were inadequate. We are confident that, 27 years on, our systems are robust.
“Patients deserve good care from appropriately qualified professionals and place a great deal of trust in doctors. To exploit that trust and the respected name of the profession is abhorrent.”
The GMC have since checked the primary medical qualifications of the 3,117 doctors who joined the medical register using the same Commonwealth route as Alemi, and who are still licensed to practise in the UK. This review found the primary qualifications of all of these doctors are genuine. None of these doctors used fraudulent documents to gain registration.
“Alemi is a manipulative criminal”
Detective Superintendent Matt Scott was the senior investigating officer in the case.
Speaking after the sentence, he said: “This was a highly unusual case which involved a skilled fraud carried out and maintained over a number of years.
“Alemi is a manipulative criminal who fraudulently obtained a critical health care role which involved important responsibilities about people’s lives – despite never having obtained the most fundamental qualification to start her career.
“I would like to thank the work of the News & Star’s journalist Phil Coleman for his diligence covering this case and his initial enquiries, which he immediately passed onto us.
“I would also like to pay tribute to my team of dedicated detectives, the NHS CFA team, and our prosecution team at the CPS for their extensive work in putting together a watertight case to place before the court and ensure justice is served.
“I would also like to thank the cooperation of the various health partners in the NHS, GMC and more, who we have liaised with during the course of this investigation and have been invaluable in helping us to reach the stage we are today on conviction, and to ensure Alemi will never again be able to call herself a ‘doctor.’ “
“She must have treated hundreds of patients - potentially putting them at risk”
Janice Wild from the Crown Prosecution Service 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 benefitted.”
The General Medical Council say they have an advice line for any patients or relatives with concerns – they can call our contact centre on 0161 923 6602.
They also have information to help patients identify the right organisation to raise their concern with. In the first instance, it is recommended those should contact the GP surgery, hospital or clinic where they were treated.
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