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Two doctors and secretary to stand trial accused of theft and money laundering
General practitioners Muhammad Azam and Waqas Farooqi, as well as Gillian McCord appeared at a sitting of Longford District Court to face a total of 138 charges
The outside of Dublin Street Medical Centre in Longford town.
Dr Waqas Farooqi together with his co-accused Dr Muhammad Azam handed in a €5,000 cash lodgment as part of their bail terms
Two midlands-based doctors and a secretary are to stand trial accused of multiple counts of stealing money under a state-funded public healthcare reimbursement scheme and submitting false medical service claims on behalf of patients to the HSE.
General practitioners Muhammad Azam (59), of The Rocks, Stonepark, Co Longford, and Waqas Farooqi (46) Belvedere Hills, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, as well as Gillian McCord (56), of Knockanboy, Co Longford, appeared at a sitting of Longford District Court to face a total of 138 charges between them.
Dr Muhammad Azam on the steps of Longford Courthouse.
The accused were each charged with 20 counts of theft from the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme at 19 Dublin Street, Longford, on dates between October 2017 and October 2019.
Twenty-two further charges were also issued against all three concerning the alleged use of false general medical services claims or out-of-hours payment forms for 12 patients at the Primary Care Reimbursement Services head offices, Exit 50, North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11, on various dates between August 2017 and October 2019.
Dr Waqas Farooqi outside Longford Courthouse after he was remanded on bail and charged with 48 counts of theft, deception and money laundering.
The particulars of those charges alleged false medical documentation was used to indicate that a particular patient had received a 'medical service' with the 'intent of inducing another person to accept it as genuine' under the provisions of section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.
Dr Azam and Dr Farooqi were similarly charged with multiple counts of money laundering at locations within the State that related to various bank accounts from AIB, PTSB and Ulster Bank between October 2017 and December 2019.
All three were led into court by detectives from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and details of each of their arrests were handed into presiding Judge Bernadette Owens.
Sergeant Mark Mahon told the court the State had received directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the three accused to be sent forward for trial to the Circuit Criminal Court.
General practitioners Muhammad Azam and Waqas Farooqi
News in 90 seconds - 16th June 2025
When asked by Judge Owens if there was consent to a signed plea, Sgt Mahon said that option was not being made available by the DPP.
He said the State was also not objecting to bail on the proviso a number of conditions were complied with.
They included orders for both doctors to submit a €5,000 cash lodgment; to surrender their passports while agreeing to refrain from applying for any duplicate travel documentation; and to sign on each Wednesday at Longford and Mullingar garda stations respectively.
Dr Muhammad Azam is to stand trial charged with 48 counts of theft, deception and money laundering.
Sgt Mahon said the State would not be seeking cash bail from Ms McCord, with her defence solicitor Patrick Groarke SC stating his client would surrender her passport within 24 hours after attempts to locate it before court had proven unsuccessful.
Ms McCord was also ordered to sign on once a week at Longford garda station and told not to apply for a duplicate passport or any other travel documentation.
All three were remanded on bail to a sitting of Longford District Court on July 8 for the anticipated serving of a book of evidence.
