A pharmacist who was jailed in October 2017 has been struck off the register after attempting to “indoctrinate” a child with Isis propaganda. Last year, Zameer Abdul Majid Ghumra, was given a six-year jail sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court for “dissemination of a terrorist publication”, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)'s fitness-to-practice committee heard at a hearing on 2ndMarch 2018.
The GPhC pointed out that Ghumra, who had no communication with the regulator in regards to the hearing, had “always denied the offence”. There were no disciplinary matters that were brought against him since he registered in 2003. However, the GPhC stressed that he had committed a “most shocking crime” that had inflicted “serious damage” to the reputation of pharmacy professionals.
It is said that Ghumra had shown Isis propaganda video of a beheading to an eight-year-old boy. Judge Gregory Dickson QC had said that the pharmacist had created Twitter accounts for the boy and his seven-year-old brother to follow “hate preachers”, such as Anjem Choudary.
The judge stated, “The evidence is [Ghumra] taught the boys how to punch and kick and to throw a knife” and “spoke of taking the boys to Syria”.
The regulator heard how Judge Dickson had acknowledged that Ghumra had no previous convictions.
In reaching its verdict, the GPhC pointed out that Ghumra’s offence was “not directly concerned with his profession as a pharmacist”, however, “Mr Ghumra has shown no remorse or insight whatsoever” and “has not engaged” in the fitness-to-practise process “in any way”.
Ghumra’s actions presented “a risk of actual harm to members of the public and he was “capable of bringing the profession into disrepute by undermining public confidence in pharmacy professionals. The ideology of Isis is one which is incompatible with the fundamental principles of the pharmacy profession, which requires one to treat people of all faiths and lifestyles with respect. The registrant has by his actions breached one of the fundamental tenets of the profession,” the GPhC said.
The fitness-to-practise committee came to the conclusion that Ghumra’s conduct was “fundamentally incompatible with continued registration as a pharmacist”, and ruled to strike him from the register.
