Fake psychiatrist fails in bid to overturn convictions

Zholia Alemi, a “highly manipulative and cunning” woman who forged an Auckland University medical degree to work as a psychiatrist in the UK for nearly two decades, has failed to overturn her jail sentence and convictions.

Sentenced last year to seven years in prison for fraud, Alemi deceived the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), earning about $2 million while posing as a qualified psychiatrist. Her actions, described as a “deliberate and wicked deception,” included detaining patients against their will and prescribing dangerous drugs, leading to significant concerns from Judge Hilary Manley, said a report in state media today.

Alemi’s appeal cited her autism diagnosis and alleged legal misconduct, including claims of denied access to prosecution cases and inadequate legal representation.

However, the Court of Appeal found no arguable grounds for overturning her conviction or sentence. Despite acknowledging the General Medical Council’s (GMC) failure to detect the forged documents initially, the court emphasised Alemi’s full responsibility for the fraud’s consequences.