A man who posed as a doctor for eight years without holding the right qualifications has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
On Thursday Helsinki District Court found Esa Laiho guilty of two counts of assault, as well as aggravated forgery and felony fraud. He was also found guilty of operating as a medical professional without a licence.
Laiho, whose fraudulent practice was uncovered in 2011 following an investigation by the Ilta-Sanomat tabloid, was arrested on suspicion of causing the deaths of three patients. He later admitted to paying $10,000 for a counterfeit medical diploma from Russia.
Prosecutors had called for a maximum of 15 years’ incarceration for Laiho, who faced 22 charges in total for posing as a medical intern, a partially licenced doctor and as an independent physician between 2003 and November 2011.
Manslaughter charges dismissed
Laiho was also ordered to pay back around one million euros’ worth of earnings which he gained during his years posing as a qualified medic.
Helsinki district prosecutor Jouni Peräinen later said the assault conviction gave a clear message that any harm caused to patients by an unqualified person practicing medicine can be seen by the courts as intentional.
However, the court acquitted Laiho of two more serious charges of manslaughter and two of aggravated assault. Prosecutors say they are considering whether to appeal against the dismissed charges.