Daily London
Laherty and Aponso “corruptly received…secret payments from medical device company Medivance in return for using surgical devices supplied by Medivance while performing surgery” at public hospitals in Brisbane, prosecutors alleged in court documents.
They said Laherty’s investment company received a 20 per cent share of the margin from surgical products supplied by Medivance that he implanted during procedures.
Court documents also stated he received payments in return for the hospital hiring camera equipment that he used during surgery.
Laherty allegedly received the payments between August 2016 and November 2019 while working at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
He was also accused of being a financial part-owner of Medivance between November 2016 and March 2018.
Laherty allegedly provided false documents to the Health Ombudsman between October 2021 and October 2022 to obscure the nature of payments from Medivance.
Both surgeons were also charged with failing to disclose their conflicts of interest in allegedly receiving money from Medivance in return for using the company’s products in public hospitals.
Medivance director Elliott Charles Lacaze, 38, also faced court on Thursday beside the two surgeons.
Prosecutors say Lacaze attempted to dishonestly obtain business via neurosurgeon Alexander Josiah Koefman at Princess Alexandra Hospital between October 2018 and March 2019.
Laherty, Aponso and Lacaze stood at the bar table and had their separate legal representatives speak for them during a brief mention of their charges on Thursday.
Magistrate Joseph Pinder adjourned their matters for a committal mention on February 16.
All three had their bail continued and were not required to re-appear in person.
None of the three accused made any comment as they left the court building.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a fifth person.
