A former employee of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), his Nigerian wife and a Nigerian businessman have been convicted by a British court for orchestrating an elaborate fraud scheme that defrauded the NHS of £279,000 by stealing medical equipment and selling the same items back to the health service—sometimes multiple times.
The convictions followed a trial at Worcester Crown Court, where a jury found the three defendants guilty of various fraud-related offences after hearing evidence of a years-long scheme that compromised hospital supplies and undermined public confidence in the healthcare system.
The principal defendant, Emmanuel Nbanga, 45, originally from Sierra Leone but raised in Nigeria before relocating to the United Kingdom, was found guilty of fraud by abuse of position and fraudulent trading. His wife, Remilekun Olusesi, 40, was convicted of money laundering, while Solomon Adeyemi, 57, a Nigerian businessman based in Birmingham, was found guilty of fraudulent trading for his role in the operation.
According to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA), the fraudulent activities took place between October 2016 and September 2019 while Nbanga worked as a Materials Management Assistant at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, one of the facilities operated by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
Investigators revealed that Nbanga exploited his position within the hospital to steal medical supplies directly from operating theatre stockrooms. Rather than disposing of the stolen items, he allegedly transferred them to Adeyemi, who was the director of Ultimate Medical (UK) Ltd (UML), a medical supply company based in Tyseley, Birmingham.
The company subsequently sold the stolen medical equipment back to the same NHS Trust from which it had originally been taken. Prosecutors told the court that in several instances, identical medical items were sold back to the hospital repeatedly, with some equipment allegedly returning to the Trust three or even four times.
The scheme remained undetected for years until the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust initiated a procurement review and tendering process for medical supplies. During the exercise, officials observed that Ultimate Medical (UK) Ltd was offering medical products at prices considerably lower than competitors, prompting further scrutiny.
As procurement officers examined deliveries, they made a startling discovery. Identification numbers on newly supplied medical items matched serial numbers of products that had previously been purchased and delivered by the Trust.
The unusual duplication immediately raised concerns that the hospital was unknowingly purchasing its own equipment.
A comprehensive investigation was subsequently launched by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, uncovering what investigators described as an extensive and sophisticated fraud operation.
Financial investigators traced payments made by the NHS Trust to Ultimate Medical (UK) Ltd and discovered that substantial sums were diverted through various channels after being received by the company.
According to investigators, proceeds from the fraudulent transactions were transferred into Lawyis Medical UK Ltd, a company established by Olusesi, which authorities described as a shell company allegedly created to facilitate the movement and concealment of illicit funds.
Additional transfers were reportedly made into personal bank accounts belonging to Nbanga, Adeyemi and Olusesi.
The investigation established that the fraudulent scheme resulted in losses of approximately £279,000 to the NHS.
Beyond the financial implications, investigators expressed grave concern about the potential risks posed to patient safety.
Officials disclosed that some of the medical supplies reintroduced into the hospital system through the fraudulent arrangement were later found to be unsuitable for clinical use.
As a result, the hospital was compelled to identify and remove affected equipment from circulation to ensure patients were not exposed to unsafe medical products.
Dave Horsley of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority described the case as particularly disturbing because the stolen stock consisted of medical supplies intended for patient care.
He noted that the fraud represented not only a financial crime but also a betrayal of public trust, especially given that the equipment involved was designated for surgical procedures and other critical healthcare services.
According to Horsley, investigators gradually uncovered the full scale of the operation as they continued examining procurement records and financial transactions.
“The more they looked, the more it unravelled,” he said, describing the investigation as one that exposed an extensive network of fraudulent activities.
He further warned that cases of this nature have consequences extending beyond financial losses.
According to him, such offences can erode public confidence in the NHS, an institution that depends heavily on public trust and integrity to deliver essential healthcare services.
The Managing Director of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Stephen Collman, also condemned the actions of the convicted individuals.
He described the fraud as a sustained criminal enterprise that cost the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds over several years.
Collman said the case was made even more serious by the fact that one of the perpetrators was a trusted NHS employee who abused his position to facilitate the theft of critical medical supplies.
He stressed that healthcare workers are expected to uphold the highest standards of honesty and professionalism, particularly because they are entrusted with resources intended for patient care.
The convictions mark the conclusion of an extensive investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority into one of the more significant procurement fraud cases involving medical equipment in recent years.
Following the jury’s verdict, the trial judge ordered that Emmanuel Nbanga and Solomon Adeyemi remain in custody pending sentencing.
The court considered both men to pose a potential flight risk and therefore refused to release them before sentencing.
Olusesi was also convicted but was not immediately remanded under the same conditions.
Sentencing for all three defendants has been scheduled for a later date.
The case has reignited discussions in the United Kingdom about procurement oversight within public institutions, particularly the NHS, which manages billions of pounds in public funding annually.
Fraud experts say the convictions highlight the importance of robust internal controls, inventory management systems and financial monitoring mechanisms to detect irregularities before significant losses occur.
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority reaffirmed its commitment to investigating financial crimes affecting the health service and prosecuting individuals who seek to exploit public healthcare resources for personal gain.
Authorities also noted that protecting NHS assets is essential not only to safeguard public funds but also to ensure that hospitals maintain adequate supplies of safe and reliable medical equipment for patients across the United Kingdom.
