Two surgeons have been charged with multiple counts of misconduct and corruption after allegedly accepting bribes to influence purchasing decisions in public hospitals. The accused, spine surgeons Richard William Laherty, aged 53, and Dihan Taranga Aponso, aged 45, were present at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday, facing serious allegations that they took secret payments totaling over $2.8 million from a medical device company.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission and the Office of the Health Ombudsman, which revealed that the surgeons received payments from Medivance in exchange for using their surgical devices during procedures at public hospitals in Brisbane. Prosecutors allege that between August 2016 and November 2019, Laherty’s investment company gained a 20 percent share of the margin from the surgical products supplied by Medivance that he implanted.
Court documents indicate that Laherty also received compensation for the hospital renting camera equipment he utilized during surgeries. His connection to Medivance extended further, as he reportedly held a financial stake in the company from November 2016 to March 2018. Moreover, he allegedly submitted false documents to the Health Ombudsman from October 2021 to October 2022, aiming to conceal the nature of the payments received from Medivance.
Aponso, on the other hand, is accused of receiving similar payments from May 2017 to January 2020 while working at Princess Alexandra Hospital, and subsequently from January 2020 to April 2022 at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Both surgeons are charged with failing to declare their conflicts of interest regarding the financial relationships with Medivance.
In a related matter, Elliott Charles Lacaze, a director at Medivance, also appeared in court alongside the two surgeons. Lacaze faces allegations of corruptly providing funds to Laherty and Aponso, facilitating the use of Medivance’s surgical devices within the public health system. He is accused of collaborating with two co-offenders to illegitimately obtain business worth more than $661,000 from Princess Alexandra Hospital and nearly $416,000 from Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Prosecutors assert that Lacaze attempted to improperly secure business through neurosurgeon Alexander Josiah Koefman at Princess Alexandra Hospital between October 2018 and March 2019. During a brief court hearing, Laherty, Aponso, and Lacaze had their legal representatives speak on their behalf, as they stood at the bar table.
The presiding Magistrate, Joseph Pinder, has adjourned their cases for a committal mention set for February 16, 2024. The three defendants have had their bail conditions continued and were not required to appear in person for this mention. None of the accused provided comments as they exited the courthouse.
Additionally, a fourth individual charged in the investigation, referred to as “Investigation Barzona,” is anticipated to appear in court on January 28, 2024. An arrest warrant has been issued for a fifth suspect involved in this case. The ongoing investigation underscores serious concerns regarding potential corruption within the healthcare procurement process in Queensland.
