THE long-running investigation of Zholia Alemi’s bogus career was one of the most complex and wide-ranging fraud probes ever conducted in Cumbria.

In an exclusive interview with the News & Star, the detective who led the investigation has spoken of the investigation's huge scale as it unearthed the truth, with leads followed up across the globe.

“This has been a massive undertaking,” said Detective Superintendent Matt Scott.

He described how he and his colleagues had worked with multiple agencies – including NHS fraud experts, the Crown Prosecution Service, and NHS trusts across the county – to unravel the tangled web of Alemi’s deception.

“The investigation had multiple threads.

“It’s spanned the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland, and we’ve made significant enquiries across the globe, in Pakistan, New Zealand, the USA.”

READ MORE: How the News & Star exposed a fake doctor's life of lies

Because Alemi’s fraud began from the day she submitted her fraudulent qualifications to the GMC in the UK, detectives have had to look into her entire career, going all the way back to her time at university in New Zealand.

“This has been a joint effort with the NHS Counter Fraud Authority,” said the officer. “They’ve assisted us greatly. We’ve had to speak to all the trusts in the country where she worked, find out what she was paid, and what work she did.”

READ MORE: Fraudster who worked in Cumbria found guilty of posing as doctor for 22 years

The prosecution, presented at Manchester Crown Court by prosecutors Chris Stables and Charlotte Atherton, was built on dozens of interviews and many thousands of documents. Police searches at a property owned by Alemi in Northern Ireland unearthed huge quantities of paperwork.

“It all had to be trawled through,” said Det Supt Scott.

When she was interviewed about the fraud, Alemi appeared to have almost convinced herself that she had indeed qualified as a doctor, said the officer. “She’s a lie for that long that it became a reality to her.”

Following Alemi’s conviction after her trial, she now faces the prospect of a Proceeds of Crime investigation, which will seek to strip her of most – if not all – of her career earnings because they were product of criminality.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Alemi earned at least £1m during her 22 year career. She joined the UK medical register under a section of the Medical Act which has not been used since 2003, say officials.

This section allowed graduates of medical schools in certain Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand, to obtain registration based on a qualification in their originating country.

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

CPS spokeswoman Janice Wild 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 £1m, to which she was not entitled. We will now pursue confiscation proceedings against her aiming to recover the criminal property from which he has benefitted.”   

The CPS is committed to working closely with other law enforcement agencies to bring justice to bear on those who defraud our public services.

The other officers who main worked on the police investigation – supported by yet more Cumbrian officers at times – were detective sergeants Leanza Van Der Westhuizen and Chris Harland.

The CPS is committed to working closely with other law enforcement agencies to bring justice to bear on those who defraud our public services.

The other detectives involved in the investigation – who were supported by yet more officers at times – were detective sergeants Leanza Van Der Westhuizen and Chris Harland.