Cleared doctor resumes his NHS career

A doctor who had alleged links to an Islamist terror plot was cleared of his offence and is now working in an NHS hospital, the Daily Mail reports.

Dr Mohammed Asha was cleared of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions following the 2007 terror bids, before starting his job at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH), the Sun reports.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the government last week withdrew a long-standing attempt to deport the 28-year-old on the basis that he was a threat to national security.

According to the Sun, Dr Asha started work at the RSH last week, a few days before the Home Office dropped its deportation bid, and days after the government dropped its deportation application.

However, the Department of Health spokesman was unable to confirm his employment status.

Trust chief executive Tom Taylor said: “Dr Mohammed Jamil Asha is a very capable young doctor and we are very pleased that he is continuing his training in our hospitals.”

“It is important to remember that he has been proven innocent and the government had withdrawn its application for deportation before he returned to the trust last week.”

“We hope everyone will judge him on the basis of his medical skills, and respect his and our wishes to let him continue his training in peace,” said the Daily Telegraph.

The Jordanian neurologist works at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shropshire as Dr Jamil – his middle name, said the Daily Mail.

He was arrested on the day of a suicide bomb attack on Glasgow Airport on July 30th 2007. At the time, he worked for the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent.

Dr Asha spent a year on remand before being cleared of conspiracy to murder and cause explosions by a jury at London’s Woolwich Crown Court last year.

His solicitor said after his deportation application was dropped by the government, the father-of-one was determined to resume his career in the NHS.

“Mohammed Asha has always said he was innocent and was not a threat national security. Now, finally, he has been entirely vindicated,” said Tayab Ali.

“Hopefully he can now get his position back, which was offering help and support to people in the UK by being an NHS doctor.”

According to different UK publications, the London-Glasgow car bomb attacks were plotted by an NHS British-born Iraqi doctor Bilal Abdulla, 29 and a 28-year-old Indian engineering student Kafeel Ahmed.

Bilal Abdulla was convicted of plotting to commit mass murder and has been sentenced to at least 32 years in jails, and Kafeel Ahmed died five weeks later after suffering serious burns during the attacks.

The prosecution alleged Dr Asha was the financier and supporter of the Glasgow airport terror cell.

However, Dr Asha denied any offences that the government had charged him. He said he did not know the £1,300 he lent to Abdulla was to rent and buy cars and bomb-making equipment. He claimed the two men had betrayed him.

After the Woolwich Crown Court cleared his convictions, the Home Office was still trying to kick him out of the country, claiming he was a threat to national security.