Thursday 16 February 2012

Health Care Worker Was Illegal Immigrant With Bogus Paperwork


An illegal immigrant, who got away with a £136,000 employment scam at a leading teaching hospital for nearly seven years, was jailed for eight months yesterday.


After working as a cleaner at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington (pictured) 31 year-old Bright Amadasun used a forged passport and national insurance card to land a health care assistant's job.


Amadasun, of Newick Road, Clapton typically took patients' blood for testing during a working day and was a respected member of the medical team praised for his "reliability and honesty" by his manager.


He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to using a forged Nigerian passport between May 30, 2005 and December 20, last year and fraudulently disclosing false information to the hospital between the same dates.


Repeated applications for leave to remain in the UK have been turned down since Amadasun entered the country illegally in 1995 and his marriage plans were scrapped when arrested.


However, he remains determined to pursue a spousal application, which would allow him to remain legally and so far the Home Office have failed to properly issue deportation papers.


A prison sentence of below twelve months also means the automatic deportation procedure will not be triggered as a result of this conviction.


Prosecutor Miss Ruxana Nasser told the court checks revealed Amadasun's identity documentation was bogus and when arrested told police he paid £500 for them.


"He bought them in order to work in this country."


The forged national insurance card was never found by police and Amadasun claimed East London University had his forged passport after he applied for a business course.


His lawyer, Miss Ayesha Khan, told the court Amadasun left his native Nigeria as a teenager to be reunited with his mother who had settled in the UK.


"He worked as a cleaner at St. Mary's and applied for the health care job through the hospital trust with the false passport.


"His manager praises his reliability and honesty, describing as a self-motivated, God-fearing individual.


"He was due to be married this month, but due to his remand in custody this has not been possible and he hopes he can get married and claim leave to remain in the UK as soon as possible."


The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to bring proceeds of crime act proceedings against Amadasun in relation to the £136,000.


Judge Anne Molyneux told the defendant: "You entered the UK illegally and were reunited with your mother and began building a life. You worked well and you worked hard and you supported yourself and your mother.


"You also gave police a full and honest account of yourself and your circumstances."

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