A CROOKED doctor working in Letterkenny General Hospital is facing being struck off after he was unmasked as a convicted fraudster.
Nigerian-born Dr Alabi Emmanuel Gbadebo was found guilty yesterday of professional misconduct after it was discovered he brought an old, broken lap-top to a shop, claiming it to be recently-purchased and fraudulently obtaining a refund for it.
The bent doc faced a Medical Council fitness to practice inquiry today where a panel heard he had deliberately concealed his pending trial for the fraud from the HSE in Letterkenny.
And he also failed to notify the HSE after the trial that he had been convicted.
The inquiry heard the Dr Gbadebo, who had trained and worked inBelarus, had been inIrelandsince 2003. He passed both Irish medical and general medical council exams.
The panel was told that although the convicted fraudster had held some observer posts, he had not got paid work when he was living in Cork in 2008. He was finishing a thesis for a Masters, was under financial pressure and anxious to get work.
He said he had been having difficulty with his lap-top. “I had to submit the thesis. The best thing was to change the lap-top.”
Gbadebo bought a new lap-top in aCorkcity-centre branch of Argos for €599.99 towards the end of August 2008.
However, on August 29, he brought his old lap-top, in the new lap-top’s packaging, to the Blackpool branch of Argos with the receipt and obtained a ’refund’ for it.
“I was thinking I had to get the thesis done. I was frustrated. I was five years in the country and no work,” he said in mitigation. “I have a wife and three children.’’
He obtained a distinction in his Masters and obtained work in Mayo general hospital in Castlebar in 2009.
Garda Michelle Quinn, from Watercourse Road station in Cork, said she had viewed CCTV footage of the doctor fraudulently obtaining the ’refund’ and sent a report to Castlebar gardaí in February 2010.
Gbadebo faced Cork District Court and pleaded guilty on September 28, 2010 and was given a four month prison sentence suspended for two years.
But as the court case was pending, the crooked doc secured contract work inLetterkenny General Hospital.
The hospital’s Human Resources (HR)manager, Patrick Murray, said he gave the doctor a number of declaration forms on August 20, 2010 advising they should be signed in the presence of a solicitor.
One declaration Gbadebo signed was that he faced no Garda investigation or pending trial.
Mr Murray told the fit to practice hearing: “On October 5, I got a call from the local Garda station. I was told Dr Alabi Gbadebo was convicted of an offence in Cork at the end of September.
“I called him to a meeting on October 12. He admitted it and apologised profusely and sought leniency.”
His contract was terminated due to the “significant breach of trust” even though there had been no concerns about his clinical work. The hearing heard he had not worked since.
Gbadebo told the inquiry he had not read the declarations. “I was so pleased to have work. I said ’Let me sign’.” He added that he regretted not telling the HSE about the pending trial.
The committee found three charges were “proven as to fact” and each amounted to professional misconduct.
The Council will determine the appropriate sanction or sanctions and Gbadeo could now be struck off the medical register.