A Zimbabwean man who posed as a child psychologist in Ireland for two years received €172,000 in pay and expenses the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.
Courts.ie reported that Gardaí “have not been able to confirm the true identity” of the man who was named as Nikiwe Dube and came to Ireland as an asylum seeker in 2018.
Dube (41) with an address at Colpe Drive, Deepforde, Drogheda, Co Louth, applied for international protection here in 2018 and went on to live a double life and was only discovered after he applied for a senior position with the HSE.
A search of his address uncovered a large quantity of documents, including a forged letter from a legal firm suggesting Dube had a case for unfair dismissal against the HSE implying that €31,380 would be paid to him.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of using a false instrument and two counts of deception.
In August last year Tom Tuite reported for the Irish Times that a prosecuting Garda told Judge Cephas Power that Dube had worked with “vulnerable children” during his fraud.
It was also stated that Dube’s educational documents which he used to apply for the HSE post were “proved to be fraudulent”, where Dube has claimed to be a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe, which he had never attended.
He has also fraudulently claimed to be a member of the Irish psychological body.
At the time of last year’s hearing in which Dube’s solicitors pleaded that he be released on bail, the court heard that he was in receipt of social welfare payments.
The HSE told Gript,”The safety and care of our service users and patients is priority for HSE Community Organisation Dublin North City and County (CHO DNCC), and any concerns, such as fraudulent behaviour are addressed and dealt with as a matter of urgency.”
“Mr Nikiwe Dube was contracted on an agency basis by HSE CHO DNCC for a brief period (between three and four months) during which time he was at no point on his own with underage clients. When the issue of fraudulent behaviour was raised, Mr Dube was already on high supervision and not seeing clients.”
“HSE CHO DNCC promptly undertook an open disclosure process and the small number affected were contacted and offered supports.” it said.