Emmanuel Nbanga, 46, of Skye Close, Smith’s Wood, Solihull, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment at Worcester Crown Court on Friday 23 October 2026. He had previously been found guilty of fraud by abuse of position and fraudulent trading on 30 June 2026 following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
Two others were also sentenced following their convictions for their involvement in the fraud.
Solomon Adeyemi, 57, of Cole Hall Lane, Birmingham, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment at Worcester Crown Court on Friday 23 October 2026. He had previously been found guilty of fraudulent trading on 30 June 2026 following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
Remilekun Olusesi, 40, of Skye Close, Smith’s Wood, Solihull, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 36 months, at Worcester Crown Court on Friday 23 October 2026. She had previously been found guilty of money laundering through the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property on 30 June 2026, following a trial at Worcester Crown Court.
On sentencing, His Honour Judge Lockhart KC acknowledged the hard work of lead investigator Dave Horsley on behalf of the public. He said:
“It was a job done in an exemplary manner and great work has been done on behalf of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority.”
All three had previously pleaded not guilty at a hearing at Worcester Crown Court on 19 July 2021.
Nbanga was employed as a materials management assistant at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, by WAHT.
Adeyemi was the director of a company called Ultimate Medical (UK) Ltd (UML), based in Tyseley, Birmingham. Olusesi is employed by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust as a healthcare assistant.
Between October 2016 and September 2019, Nbanga stole medical supplies from operating theatre stock rooms at the Alexandra Hospital and passed it onto UML, who then sold the items back to WAHT. This meant that the trust was effectively buying back its own stolen stock.
The trust became suspicious of UML and made its own enquiries into the company. Subsequent packages delivered by UML were opened by hospital staff prior to their delivery to hospital theatres.
They noticed that identification numbers on some delivered items matched those of items that had been previously ordered and delivered to the trust, either by UML or another supplier.
In total, WAHT spent almost £233,000 buying back its own stock.
Additionally, UML supplied the Alexandra Hospital with sub-standard warm-up jackets, needle containers and drug labels that they sourced from China.
Although these products were not stolen from the hospital, the trust determined that they could not be assured of their quality and safety for use on patients and therefore destroyed all existing stock. This caused the trust to spend additional funds replacing these with products sourced from other, established suppliers.
Including these supplied items that were sourced from China, UML had invoiced the trust for orders totalling £306,000, but the trust had withheld some payments due to its suspicions about UML.
Checks made by WAHT showed that Nbanga made the request to set up UML as a registered supplier to the trust and also initiated all of the trust’s business with UML. In addition, UML’s only customer was WAHT. The NHS Shared Business Service who process the invoices for numerous trusts, including WAHT, confirmed that UML was not supplying goods to any other NHS trust within their remit.
WAHT referred the case to their local counter fraud specialist, who escalated matters to the NHSCFA’s National Investigation Service. The investigation found that funds paid by the trust into UML’s business account were redirected to Lawyis Medical UK Ltd, a shell company set up by Olusesi, and to personal accounts in the names of all three defendants. Adeyemi used the false ID of Patrick Smith and funds were also laundered through accounts in that name.
Nbanga and Adeyemi were arrested and interviewed in September 2019 and searches were carried out at their home addresses and at UML’s business address. Items identified as stolen NHS stock valued at more than £16,000 were recovered. They were reinterviewed in March 2020. Olusesi was also interviewed in March 2020.
Adeyemi had previously pleaded guilty to possessing/controlling identity documents with intent after using a forged Nigerian passport, a forged NINO (national insurance number) card and bank statements in the false name of Patrick Smith which he used to apply, successfully, for jobs as a healthcare assistant, via an agency, at two NHS trusts.
He earned almost £119,000 from these two jobs, taking the full value of NHS losses to £367,759. In addition to this, by virtue of withholding payment to UML, the trust saved itself over £43,000.
Ben Harrison, Head of Operations and Engagement at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said:
"This case demonstrates the serious consequences that await those who seek to defraud the NHS.
“Nbanga abused his trusted position to systematically steal vital medical stock and arrange for it to be sold back to the very trust he was employed by, effectively making the NHS pay twice for its own medical supplies. The involvement of multiple individuals and two shell companies shows the calculated and organised nature of this fraud.
“Their actions have caused significant financial impact on NHS services. As a result of the thefts and subsequent resupply by UML, the trust was effectively paying for stock it already owned, resulting in unnecessary costs.
“This fraud also posed a direct risk to patients, as substandard and unsanitary goods entering hospital theatres could have had serious consequences for their health and safety.
“Every pound stolen from the NHS is a pound that cannot be spent on frontline services and the NHSCFA is committed to pursuing those responsible wherever the evidence leads.”