A Nigerian husband and wife, alongside an accomplice, have been convicted in the United Kingdom over their roles in a £279,000 fraud scheme involving stolen medical supplies that were allegedly sold back to the same National Health Service NHS hospital trust from which they were taken.

The convictions followed a trial at Worcester Crown Court, where Emmanuel Nbanga, 45, was found guilty of fraud by abuse of position and fraudulent trading.

Fraud Authority account

According to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), Nbanga worked as a materials management assistant at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, operated by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Investigators said that between October 2016 and September 2019, Nbanga stole medical supplies from operating theatre stock rooms and passed them to Solomon Adeyemi, 57, the director of Ultimate Medical (UK) Ltd (UML), a company based in Tyseley, Birmingham.

The prosecution said UML subsequently sold the stolen medical supplies back to the same NHS trust, meaning the hospital unknowingly purchased its own equipment again, sometimes as many as three or four times.

Adeyemi was convicted of fraudulent trading for his role in the scheme.

Nbanga’s wife, Remilekun Olusesi, 40, was also found guilty of money laundering through the acquisition, retention, use and control of criminal property.

According to investigators, money paid by the NHS trust into UML’s business account was later transferred to Lawyis Medical UK Ltd, a company allegedly established by Olusesi, as well as to personal accounts linked to the fraud.

The fraudulent scheme reportedly came to light when the hospital trust began a tendering process for medical supplies and noticed that UML was offering products at unusually low prices.

Further checks revealed that identification numbers on some of the medical items supplied by the company matched those of equipment that had previously been purchased and delivered to the hospital.

The discovery prompted a detailed investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, which uncovered the alleged theft and resale operation.

NHSCFA reaction

Reacting to the convictions, Dave Horsley of the NHSCFA described the case as particularly disturbing.

He said the case was shocking, “especially since the stock was intended for operations on patients.”

The three convicted individuals are expected to be sentenced at a later date.