A Nigerian woman, Oluwabunmi Adeleiyi, has been convicted in the United Kingdom for fraudulently securing employment within the National Health Service using forged identification documents.
Adeleiyi, 30, who resided in Cardiff on a student visa, was found guilty of working as a healthcare support worker at Neath Port Talbot Hospital and Caswell Clinic in Bridgend with false credentials.
The Cardiff Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Adeleiyi, alongside two accomplices, operated a scheme in which counterfeit identity cards were shared to obtain shifts through employment agencies, enabling them to unlawfully bill the NHS to the tune of about £16,000 monthly.
The defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation.
She was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The court, however, suspended the jail term for two years and ordered her to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community service.
The court was told that the fraud was uncovered after hospital staff observed discrepancies on Adeleiyi’s identification card at the end of a night shift.
Further investigations revealed that she had no formal training in patient restraint but nonetheless gained access to sensitive patient records and secured restricted wards—actions which health authorities warned could have resulted in severe consequences for patient safety.