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The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Four men jailed over ‘egregious' NHS bribery and corruption offences
Four men convicted of bribery and corrupt practices over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6 million have been jailed. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow which followed an investigation at health boards across Scotland. The offences, which took place between 2010 and 2017, included bribery, corruption, and other offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Hush and Sharoudi were additionally convicted of charges of fraud. Sharoudi and Brown, directors of Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm Oricom Ltd, were jailed for eight years and seven years respectively when they were sentenced at the court on Thursday, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Hush, who was telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian, was sentenced to eight years in jail, while Cox, who was head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire, was jailed for six years. In a sentencing statement later published online, Lord Arthurson said: 'The public are entitled to expect that their fellow citizens will not seek to subvert public officials in the diligent exercise of their duties, and public officials in their turn should know that succumbing to bribery will result in the handing down by the court of immediate and significant custodial terms. 'The reach and character of the corruption and in particular the corrupt relationships engaged in by all of you, when considered as a whole, was on a grand scale.' The trial at the High Court in Glasgow lasted 65 days. Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at COPFS, said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. 'The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost. 'The prosecutorial journey has been complex and demanding. It required forensic examination of thousands of documents, hundreds of witness statements, and detailed financial analyses to establish the full extent of this criminal activity. 'The digital evidence, particularly text messages and emails exchanged between the accused, proved pivotal in exposing the true nature of these arrangements. 'This was a meticulous investigation and one which reflects the enduring partnership working between specialist Crown Office prosecutors, NHS Counter Fraud Services and Police Scotland, who worked tirelessly over many years. 'Their unflinching dedication to serving the interests of justice, regardless of complexity or duration, deserves recognition.' The four men will now be subject to confiscation action under proceeds of crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained. Brown and Sharoudi were also banned from being company directors for 10 years. Gordon Young, head of NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland, said: 'This is a landmark conviction for fraud, bribery and corruption of individuals who sought to exploit the NHS for personal gain. 'This successful prosecution reaffirms NHS Scotland's commitment to safeguarding vital funds for patient care as intended by the taxpayer. 'These sentences send a strong and unequivocal message that fraud, bribery and corruption within the NHS will not be tolerated, and we will act decisively against anyone who threatens its integrity.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Corrupt Edinburgh NHS manager jailed for eight years over £6m contracts
Four men have been jailed for a total of 29 years over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6million. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted by a jury following an investigation at health boards across Scotland. Hush, telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian and then NHS Scotland's video conferencing manager, was sentenced to eight years in jail. READ MORE: Edinburgh man's touching tribute for best pal after his unexpected death at 38 READ MORE: 'Maggots burst from tin of tuna I was about to feed my baby - I can never eat touch it again' Sharoudi and Brown, directors of Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm Oricom Ltd, were imprisoned for eight years and seven years respectively. Cox, who held the post of head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire, will spend six years in prison. Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost. 'The prosecutorial journey has been complex and demanding. It required forensic examination of thousands of documents, hundreds of witness statements, and detailed financial analyses to establish the full extent of this criminal activity. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox 'The digital evidence, particularly text messages and emails exchanged between the accused, proved pivotal in exposing the true nature of these arrangements. 'This was a meticulous investigation and one which reflects the enduring partnership working between specialist Crown Office prosecutors, NHS Counter Fraud Services and Police Scotland who worked tirelessly over many years. 'Their unflinching dedication to serving the interests of justice, regardless of complexity or duration, deserves recognition. 'The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has worked closely with these specialist reporting agencies to ensure justice has been served. 'This case demonstrates clearly that those who indulge in corrupt practices for their own personal gain will be brought to book regardless of the time it takes to bring offenders to justice. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. 'The Proceeds of Crime proceedings that will follow demonstrate our ongoing commitment to ensuring that crime does not pay and that illicitly obtained funds are recovered where possible.' All four individuals will now be subject to confiscation action under Proceeds of Crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained. Brown and Sharoudi were also banned from being company directors for 10 years.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Scheming NHS chiefs and telecoms bosses learn fate over £6m corruption plot
Disgraced bosses Alan Hush, 68, and Gavin Cox, 60, were today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow BANGED UP Scheming NHS chiefs and telecoms bosses learn fate over £6m corruption plot Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO scheming NHS chiefs and two telecoms bosses nailed over a £6m corruption and bribery probe at health boards across Scotland have been jailed for a total of 29 years. Disgraced bosses Alan Hush, 68, and Gavin Cox, 60, were today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow alongside directors Adam Sharoudi, 41, and Gavin Brown, 48. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Disgraced NHS chief Alan Hush learned his fate at the High Court in Glasgow. Credit: Andrew Barr 5 Former NHS boss Gavin Cox was found guilty after trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Credit: Andrew Barr 5 Disgraced Oricom directors Adam Sharoudi, left, and Gavin Brown. Credit: Andrew Barr They learned their fate after earlier having been found guilty by a jury of conspiring in the lucrative plot. Hush was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of nine charges. Cox was locked up for six years for the two charges he was convicted of. Sharoudi was also handed an eight year term having been convicted of seven charges. Brown was jailed for seven years for a total of six charges. Lord Arthurson said: 'Such is the corrosive effect of corruption upon commercial and public life, individuals such as yourselves should expect to be dealt with robustly by the courts. 'The public should expect their fellow citizens should not seek to subvert public officials in their duties. 'Such officials should note that, succumbing to bribery, will result in the handing down of significant terms. 'The reach and character of the corruption and, in particular, the corrupt relationship engaged by all of you was on a grand scale.' We told how Oricom directors Brown and Sharoudi bribed corrupt NHS bosses Hush and Cox with cash, lavish trips and holidays to fix up deals between 2010 and 2017. The cheating directors bribed their way to contracts after setting up the business from "a garden shed" in Irvine, Ayrshire. During a lengthy trial, jurors heard Hush, a former telecoms boss at NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland video conferencing manager, referred to the company as the 'Bank of Oricom'. It supplied and maintained telecoms and video conferencing gear. Hush was given train tickets, hotel stays in London, a laptop worth almost £2,000, an iPad plus meals and tickets to see Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright and Patti Smith. Cox was head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire when he enjoyed hospitality at the Scottish Grand National, a night at Troon's Lochgreen House Hotel and a slap-up meal at Elliots in Prestwick. He also got thousands of pounds of Barrhead Travel holiday vouchers and took lavish trips to New York and Lanzarote. Oricom boss Brown was a guest at his surprise 50th birthday party. The NHS duo pushed through numerous deals, with one contract worth £3.1million. Adele Rennie: The unravelling of Scotland's twisted Catfish nurse who posed as men to lure women into scams In return, Hush, of Edinburgh, got £18,231 of cash bungs and gifts while Cox, of Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, pocketed more than £70,000. Prosecutor David Nicolson KC said Hush 'failed to instigate a proper tendering process' for work Oricom secured. He added: 'Alan Hush played by the Alan Hush rules. Alan Hush . . . did what he liked.' The charges, including bribery, corruption, fraud, theft and others under the Proceeds of Crime Act, spanned from 2010 to 2017. One stated Sharoudi and Brown did 'acquire, use and possess' a total of £5,719,244 of 'criminal property' paid by NHS Lothian, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as well as NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Hush was convicted of nine charges, Cox of two, Sharoudi, from Motherwell, seven, and Brown, of Prestwick, was nailed for six. 5 Alan Hush pocketed tickets to see Paul Simon, above, and other live acts. Credit: Getty 5 Alan Hush had train trips paid for by corrupt Oricom bosses. Credit: Alamy Jurors reached their verdicts after eight days of deliberation. Remanding the four in custody in April, judge Lord Arthurson said: 'You collectively engaged, to varying degrees, in a deeply cynical, highly corrupt, coldly calculated and criminal betrayal of the welfare state and, ultimately, the taxpayer. 'The courts regard corruption as a cancer in public and commercial life.' Gordon Young, of NHS Counter Fraud Services, said at the time: 'We will continue to do all we can to prevent fraud to protect vital NHS Scotland services so funding goes where it's needed — to patient care.' Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. 'The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost."
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Corrupt Edinburgh NHS manager jailed for eight years over £6m contracts
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp Four men have been jailed for a total of 29 years over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6million. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted by a jury following an investigation at health boards across Scotland. Hush, telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian and then NHS Scotland's video conferencing manager, was sentenced to eight years in jail. Sharoudi and Brown, directors of Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm Oricom Ltd, were imprisoned for eight years and seven years respectively. Cox, who held the post of head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire, will spend six years in prison. Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost. 'The prosecutorial journey has been complex and demanding. It required forensic examination of thousands of documents, hundreds of witness statements, and detailed financial analyses to establish the full extent of this criminal activity. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox 'The digital evidence, particularly text messages and emails exchanged between the accused, proved pivotal in exposing the true nature of these arrangements. 'This was a meticulous investigation and one which reflects the enduring partnership working between specialist Crown Office prosecutors, NHS Counter Fraud Services and Police Scotland who worked tirelessly over many years. 'Their unflinching dedication to serving the interests of justice, regardless of complexity or duration, deserves recognition. 'The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has worked closely with these specialist reporting agencies to ensure justice has been served. 'This case demonstrates clearly that those who indulge in corrupt practices for their own personal gain will be brought to book regardless of the time it takes to bring offenders to justice. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. 'The Proceeds of Crime proceedings that will follow demonstrate our ongoing commitment to ensuring that crime does not pay and that illicitly obtained funds are recovered where possible.' All four individuals will now be subject to confiscation action under Proceeds of Crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained. Brown and Sharoudi were also banned from being company directors for 10 years.
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- Scottish Sun
Four men guilty of £6m bribery & corruption plot at NHS boards across Scotland
The four crooks were convicted after a three-month long trial at the High Court in Glasgow SHAMELESS CROOKS Four men guilty of £6m bribery & corruption plot at NHS boards across Scotland Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO scheming NHS chiefs are behind bars after a £6m corruption and bribery probe at health boards across Scotland. Disgraced bosses Alan Hush, 68, and Gavin Cox, 60, were nailed alongside telecoms firm directors Adam Sharoudi, 41, and Gavin Brown, 48. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Alan Hush was a telecoms boss at NHS Lothian when awarding contracts to Oricom Credit: Andrew Barr 3 Gavin Cox, former head of IT and infrastructure boss at NHS Lothian Credit: Andrew Barr 3 Oricom directors Adam Sharoudi, left, and Gavin Brown were jailed today. Credit: Andrew Barr The four crooks were convicted after a three-month long trial at the High Court in Glasgow involving the senior NHS execs and bosses at Oricom Ltd in Irvine, Ayrshire. The business was headed up by directors Sharoudi and Brown who bribed their way into winning money-spinning contracts after initially setting up business from 'a garden shed'. All four crooks were today convicted of a raft of offences after a gruelling three-month long trial at the High Court on Glasgow. Jurors heard Hush - a former telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland video conferencing manager - used the business as the 'Bank of Oricom'. He was given train tickets, such as on the Eurostar, stays at the Troy and Re Hotels in London, a near £2,000 laptop, an iPad, meals as well as concert tickets to see Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright and Patti Smith. Cox held the post of head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire when he enjoyed hospitality at the Scottish Grand National at Ayr, a night at the Loch Green Hotel in Troon and a slap-up meal at Elliots in Prestwick. Oricom boss Brown was also a guest at Cox's surprise 50th birthday party. Jurors also heard Cox got thousands of pounds worth of Barrhead Travel holiday vouchers which allowed him to go on trips to New York and Lanzarote. The NHS pair denied any wrongdoing but were yesterday found guilty of abusing their powers as 'public servants' to push deals through - including one contract worth £3.1m. In return, Hush, of Edinburgh, got £18,231 of cash bungs and gifts, Cox, of Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, a total of more than £70,000. Adele Rennie: The unravelling of Scotland's twisted Catfish nurse who posed as men to lure women into scams In cross examination, prosecutor David Nicolson KC put to Hush at one stage: 'At NHS Lothian, Alan Hush was the kingpin in the telecoms department. 'You were the 'big cheese', 'the big boss'. The telecoms department was your fiefdom. 'Alan Hush played by the Alan Hush rules. Alan Hush made up the rules and did what he liked.' He replied: 'Alan Hush performed to the best of his abilities.' Mr Nicolson also stated Hush had 'failed to instigate a proper tendering process' for work Oricom secured. Hush was said to have 'ferreted about' in a 'deception' to obtain false 'dodgy' quotes to help the firm get the lucrative business. Denying any wrongdoing, Hush insisted: 'I have stepped into the witness box and told the truth.' But, jurors yesterday - after more than eight days of deliberations - found them guilty and they each face lengthy sentences when they return to the dock in June. The charges spanning between 2010 and 2017 included bribery, corruption, fraud, theft as well as others under the Proceeds of Crime Act. One stated Sharoudi and Brown did 'acquire, use and possess' a total of £5,719,244 of 'criminal property' paid by NHS Lothian, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as well as NHS Ayrshire and Arran. The trial heard Oricom started in a garden shed before going on to to secure major deals for the supply and maintenance of telecoms and video conferencing equipment. Hush was found guilty of nine charges, Cox two, Sharoudi, of Motherwell, seven and Brown, of Prestwick, a total of six. Lawyers for all four had asked for them to remain on bail. But, remanding them, Lord Arthurson went on to state: 'You have been convicted by the jury of an extremely grave catalogue of offences. 'These include offences relating to bribery and corruption and charges brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act. 'You, Hush and Sharoudi, also multiple charges of fraud. By the verdicts, the jury has determined that you collectively engaged, to varying degrees, in a deeply cynical, highly corrupt, coldly calculated and criminal betrayal of the welfare state and, ultimately, the taxpayer. 'The courts regard corruption as a cancer in public and commercial life. 'You should expect nothing less than the imposition of significant custodial sentences.' Sentencing is due to take place on June 5 in Edinburgh. They also face separate hearings under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Prosecutors have also moved for Sharoudi and Brown to be banned as company directors. Gordon Young, Head of NHS Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland last night welcomed the verdict. He said: 'Our investigation - which led to this case - highlights the commitment CFS has to rooting out fraud and we will continue to do everything in our power to prevent fraud to protect our vital NHSScotland services and ensure our funding goes where it is needed – to patient care.'
