DO defiant after NHS eye exam prosecution

A South London dispensing optician who was found guilty of defrauding more than £80,000 from several PCTs has insisted that he has done nothing wrong and that he was forced into pleading guilty.

As reported in Optician, (April 20), Ronald Preedy, aged 64, who owned two optical practices, pleaded guilty of nine counts of obtaining money transfer by deception at Southwark Crown Court. He received a suspended jail sentence and 120 hours of community service. The court heard that Preedy had submitted more than 2,000 fraudulent claims to various PCTs.

The judge also ordered 18 further counts to remain on the court file and Preedy was ordered to pay costs of £20,000. The court heard that Preedy was registered with the GOC as a DO but routinely carried out sight tests and claimed fees from several South London PCTs. It also emerged that to cover up his offences, Preedy had signed the claims under the name of a qualified OMP Dr Moustafa Yaqub who was known to him.