Dedworth
4th December 2014, 15:11
An Iranian surgeon who cheated the taxman out of £92,000 can return to work, a tribunal has ruled.
Firuz Kasiri, 67, stashed away almost a quarter of a million pounds in earnings in a secret bank account, which he failed to declare on his tax returns.
He admitted the five-year scam at Canterbury Crown Court in 2012, while he was still working at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, in Margate, Kent.
The orthopaedic surgeon dodged jail because of his medical work in 'helping save lives and alleviating pain and misery'.
But a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel took a dim view of his dishonesty and suspended him from work in February 2013.
The ban was extended for another nine months earlier this year.
Kasiri, who had worked in the NHS for nearly 40 years, described his behaviour as 'despicable' and 'regrettable'.
Following a review of his case, the father-of-three has been told he can return to work, but under a sting of conditions that keep him closely supervised for six months.
MPTS panel chairman Dr Andrew Rowland told him: 'You have demonstrated sound academic knowledge of your speciality and have maintained supportive relationships with your colleagues.
'The panel has noted the comments of the fitness to practise panel in 2013 which acknowledged that you had given 37 years of “excellent service to the public in your local area”.
'Furthermore, the panel accepts your own evidence that you are amenable to “hand-holding” by your colleagues while you regain your confidence and build on your skills as a doctor.
'In these circumstances, the panel considered that it would be appropriate, proportionate, workable and measurable to impose conditions on your registration.'
Kasiri – whose son Miles was once tipped as a future Wimbledon tennis champion – began squirreling away cash after a change to the way he was paid in 2006.
His main earnings, which were taxed at source, were paid into his NatWest bank account.
But he failed to disclose other income paid into his Nationwide Building Society account without tax deduction.
The doctor failed to declare income totalling £226,062.92 on his self-assessment tax return between 11 January 2006 and 26 July 2011 and avoided paying £92,623.77 in tax.
He repaid the tax in full after investigators discovered the cash haul.
Kasiri, of Sandhurst Road, Cliftonville, was handed a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years after admitting fraud in July 2012.
Judge Adele Williams told him: 'There are millions of people in this country struggling to make ends meet in these difficult economic times.
'We are all required to pay the proper tax that is demanded of us and is liable because otherwise society does not work.
'Your actions, I am afraid, were greedy and unprincipled. You were doing a very responsible job as a surgeon.
'Because of a change in the way in which you were paid you took advantage to fail to pay tax of approximately £92,000… That was, as I say, greedy, selfish and irresponsible.
'For a man in your position it was particularly regrettable.'
Kasiri will face another review hearing towards the end of his ban before he can return to unrestricted practice.
- See more at:
http://courtnewsuk.co.uk/newsgallery/?news_id=39166#sthash.k9t7CQ6l.dpuf
Deport him :mad:
Firuz Kasiri, 67, stashed away almost a quarter of a million pounds in earnings in a secret bank account, which he failed to declare on his tax returns.
He admitted the five-year scam at Canterbury Crown Court in 2012, while he was still working at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, in Margate, Kent.
The orthopaedic surgeon dodged jail because of his medical work in 'helping save lives and alleviating pain and misery'.
But a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel took a dim view of his dishonesty and suspended him from work in February 2013.
The ban was extended for another nine months earlier this year.
Kasiri, who had worked in the NHS for nearly 40 years, described his behaviour as 'despicable' and 'regrettable'.
Following a review of his case, the father-of-three has been told he can return to work, but under a sting of conditions that keep him closely supervised for six months.
MPTS panel chairman Dr Andrew Rowland told him: 'You have demonstrated sound academic knowledge of your speciality and have maintained supportive relationships with your colleagues.
'The panel has noted the comments of the fitness to practise panel in 2013 which acknowledged that you had given 37 years of “excellent service to the public in your local area”.
'Furthermore, the panel accepts your own evidence that you are amenable to “hand-holding” by your colleagues while you regain your confidence and build on your skills as a doctor.
'In these circumstances, the panel considered that it would be appropriate, proportionate, workable and measurable to impose conditions on your registration.'
Kasiri – whose son Miles was once tipped as a future Wimbledon tennis champion – began squirreling away cash after a change to the way he was paid in 2006.
His main earnings, which were taxed at source, were paid into his NatWest bank account.
But he failed to disclose other income paid into his Nationwide Building Society account without tax deduction.
The doctor failed to declare income totalling £226,062.92 on his self-assessment tax return between 11 January 2006 and 26 July 2011 and avoided paying £92,623.77 in tax.
He repaid the tax in full after investigators discovered the cash haul.
Kasiri, of Sandhurst Road, Cliftonville, was handed a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years after admitting fraud in July 2012.
Judge Adele Williams told him: 'There are millions of people in this country struggling to make ends meet in these difficult economic times.
'We are all required to pay the proper tax that is demanded of us and is liable because otherwise society does not work.
'Your actions, I am afraid, were greedy and unprincipled. You were doing a very responsible job as a surgeon.
'Because of a change in the way in which you were paid you took advantage to fail to pay tax of approximately £92,000… That was, as I say, greedy, selfish and irresponsible.
'For a man in your position it was particularly regrettable.'
Kasiri will face another review hearing towards the end of his ban before he can return to unrestricted practice.
- See more at:
http://courtnewsuk.co.uk/newsgallery/?news_id=39166#sthash.k9t7CQ6l.dpuf
Deport him :mad: