Two Brisbane surgeons accused of involvement in a multimillion-dollar kick back scheme have been hit with a raft of conditions by a health regulator.
Ashgrove neurosurgeon Dr Richard William Laherty is facing charges of corruption and two counts each of misconduct in relation to a public office and false or misleading receipt or account.
The other surgeon entangled in the alleged scheme, Dr Dihan Taranga Aponso, is charged with two counts each of corruption and misconduct in relation to public office.
They were targeted by the Crime and Corruption Commission over a scheme allegedly operated by medical equipment company director Elliott Charles Lacaze.
Prosecutors allege Lacaze offered the surgeons kickbacks for use of MediVance equipment while performing surgeries
They claim Lacaze benefited a total of $2.8m over the span of eight years on the back of deals made with Laherty and Aponso.
Laherty who was allegedly a financial part-owner of MediVance at the time is accused of failing to declare a conflict of interest while ordering and using products from the company and providing false information to the Health Ombudsman.
Earlier this month the ombudsman’s office said it took immediate action against Laherty by imposing a number of conditions on his medical practitioner’s registration.
This includes submitting to quarterly audits of records pertaining to surgical devices/hardware and patient records whose treatments have involved these devices in surgery.
According to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website the audit’s purpose is to assess whether any conflict of interest in the ordering of the surgical devices/hardware exists and whether any conflict of interest has been disclosed to patients.
The conditions stipulate Laherty is unable to practice unless he provides his employer or similar details of the alleged conduct that gave rise to these conditions.
Aponso, a Brookfield spinal surgeon, had almost identical conditions imposed on his registration last Tuesday however the audits are to be biannual.
The ombudsman’s office said it had a formal information sharing agreement with Queensland Police regarding health practitioners.
“When the OHO is informed by QPS that a health practitioner has been charged with a criminal offence, the OHO takes steps to assess the potential risk posed by the practitioner to public health and safety,” a spokesman said.
Where necessary, the Health Ombudsman may take immediate action, such as suspending or imposing conditions on the practitioner’s registration to ensure the safety of the public and/ or to maintain public confidence while the matter is investigated.
The men were charged by the Crime and Corruption Commission in December as part of Investigation Barzona, along with finance manager Alana Jane Clayton.
She is charged with two counts each of giving or offering a benefit to a public officer and fraud (dishonestly gain a benefit/advantage value of at least $100,000).
Investigators allege she gave money to both Laherty and Aponso in exchange for them using the MediVance surgical devices at the PA Hospital.
No formal pleas have been entered.
The matters remain in Brisbane Magistrates Court.