Two doctors and secretary accused of over 120 Longford thefts sent forward for trial

Two doctors and a secretary, who appeared at Longford District Court today accused of stealing money under a state-funded public healthcare reimbursement scheme and submitting false medical service claims to the HSE in respect of patients, have been sent forward for trial.

The defendants general practitioners Muhammad Azam (59), of The Rocks, Stonepark, Co Longford and Waqas Farooqi (46) Belvedere Hills, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, as well as secretary Gillian McCord (56), of Knockanboy, Co Longford appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens on Tuesday morning.

The accused trio have been charged with a total of 137 counts between them with Mr Azam facing 48 charges, Mr Farooqi facing 47 charges and Ms McCord facing 42 charges.

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The defendants have each been charged with 20 counts of theft on dates between October 2017 and October 2019 from the HSE’s Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme at 19 Dublin Street, Longford.

The defendants are also facing 22 further charges each in respect of the alleged use of false general medical services claims or out-of-hours payment forms for 12 patients on various dates between August 2017 and October 2019 at the Primary Care Reimbursement Services head offices, Exit 50, North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.

The details of those charges allege that false medical documentation was used by Dr Azam, Dr Farooqi and Ms McCord to specify that a particular patient received a “medical service” which was, "and which [they] knew or believed to be, a false instrument with the intention of inducing another person to accept it as genuine and by reason of so accepting the said instrument to do some act or to make some omission, or to provide some service, to the prejudice of that person or another person to provide some service under the provisions of section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001".
Dr Azam and Dr Farooqi are also facing several charges relating to money laundering that are connected to numerous Ulster Bank, AIB and PTSB bank accounts between October 2017 and December 2019.

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On Tuesday morning, Garda Sergeant Gerry Newton gave evidence of serving the Book of Evidence on the three defendants on the morning of the court sitting.

Sergeant Mark Mahon, court presenter, told Judge Owens the Director Of Public Prosecution was seeking to have Dr Azam, Dr Farooqi and Ms McCord returned for trial at Longford Circuit Criminal Court on July 15 next.

Two of the defendants, Dr Farooqi and Ms McCord were remanded on bail, with the same conditions previously set out in court.
However, Dr Farooqi’s solicitor Aoife Dalton of Sheehan and Partners LLP applied to have his bail conditions amended as she stated he is hoping to travel between December 31st, 2025 and January 17th 2026.

Judge Owens replied that she believed that the application to vary bail should go to Longford Circuit Criminal Court as it was not urgent and Ms Dalton agreed and stated there was no issue for them waiting.

Judge Owens issued Dr Azam, Dr Farooqi and Ms McCord with separate alibi warnings, telling them if they wished to rely on an alibi they must inform the prosecution within 14 days.

An application for legal aid was made by Barrister Patrick Groarke SC on behalf of Ms McCord.

He said she has a net income of €742 per week as a legal secretary and she could provide a statement of means.

Judge Owens noted the large number of charges and she approved the application for one senior and junior counsel respectively.

All three were remanded agreed bail conditions outlined at an earlier court hearing last month.

Both doctors lodged €5,000 cash lodgements as part of their bail conditions.

The trio were also previously directed to surrender their passports and told not to duplicate travel documentation.