Four fraudsters jailed for £6m NHS scandal

Irvine firm at centre of corruption

- SALLY HIND

Four men convicted over a £6million corruption and bribery scandal at health boards in Scotland have been jailed for a total of 29 years.

The group were found guilty following a major investigation into the award of lucrative NHS contracts to an Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm.

The probe was first revealed after an NHS counter-fraud team swooped on Oricom's offices in 2016.

Directors Adam Sharoudi, 41, and Gavin Brown, 48, secured major deals with the illegal help of NHS telecoms bosses Alan Hush, 68, and Gavin Cox, 60.

During a three-month trial, prosecutors proved contracts to supply and maintain equipment broke rules on financial wrongdoing in the tendering process.

Hush was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of nine charges. Cox, convicted of two charges, was caged for six years.

Sharoudi was handed an eight-year term, having been convicted of seven charges. Brown got seven years for a total of six charges.