Fake psychiatrist jailed, to be deported

HAMILTON: A man who faked his qualifications to gain employment at the Waikato District Health Board as a psychiatrist was sentenced to four years and three months in prison when he appeared at the Hamilton District Court yesterday.

Mohamed Shakeel Siddiqui (56) pleaded guilty in March to four charges of deception and forgery after he was arrested in July 2015.

Siddiqui had sought to vacate his pleas upon changing to his fifth different lawyer, Gregory Bradford, but this was rejected by Judge Glen Marshall.

Siddiqui has already served almost 21 months in jail before yesterday’s sentencing and will be deported following the completion of his sentence.

He was given the opportunity to address the court where he spoke of the hardship facing his two children living in the United States if he was deported to his country of birth.

‘‘I have noone to go back to in India. The system is designed to protect the family and that’s what I want to do. If I have a sentence of over two years, the chances of me returning to the US are nil,’’ he said.

Judge Marshall told Siddiqui his offending had had wideranging consequences, brought about by the deception.

‘‘The risk to patients was a gross abuse of trust to some of the most vulnerable in society and the harm to the Waikato DHB reputation [was] through loss of confidence in the organisation,’’ he said.

As part of his job, Siddiqui was tasked with assessing and interacting with mental health patients, including some in secure facilities, and prescribing various medications.

He had been earning a salary of more than $165,000, after being recruited by International Medical Recruitment, before suspicions were raised about his credentials and, eventually, charges were laid. — NZN