A woman named Zholia Alemi has been sentenced to seven years in prison for forging her qualifications to practice as a psychiatrist in the UK. Alemi, who fabricated a medical degree and verification letter, submitted these false documents to the General Medical Council (GMC) to register as a doctor and worked in various medical positions across the country.

Prosecutors dubbed her the "most accomplished fraudster" after she was found guilty of 20 counts, including forgery and fraud. She falsely claimed to hold a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Auckland.

Alemi used these fraudulent credentials to practice medicine, earning between £1.1 million and £1.3 million over her career. Her scheme came to light following investigative journalism by Phil Coleman, who discovered her actual academic history.

Alemi's Academic Fraud

She originally enrolled as a medical student but failed her exams and never completed her degree. Despite this, she managed to become a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists by passing the exams, all while lacking the necessary medical degree.

Her fraudulent activities included altering documents with tools found by the police during a search of her property. The scandal has prompted serious questions about the GMC's verification processes from decades past.

Judge Criticizes GMC

Judge Hilary Manley expressed her concerns about the "abject failure of scrutiny" by the GMC, which failed to identify the forged documents. The judge highlighted the potential risk Alemi posed to patients, as she had the authority to administer powerful medication.

Alemi's criminal behavior included an earlier conviction for defrauding an elderly patient. The case has also led to a review of regulatory processes and a call for stricter checks to prevent similar instances in the future.