A Kirkcaldy doctor convicted of domestic abuse says he fled to Iraq because he was scared of going to a Scottish jail.
Ammar Alrahow, who had worked as a urologist at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy since 2010, was convicted of a domestic abuse charge in September 2023.
He was also found guilty of two breaches of bail conditions.
Now, following a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing into his conduct, Alrahow has been struck off as a doctor.
A report into the MPTS hearing said that following his conviction, the shamed medic agreed to hand in his Irish passport.
However, he then fled to Iraq using his Iraqi travel documents before he could be sentenced.
His actions triggered a further warrant for his arrest, which is still outstanding.
The doctor qualified at the University of Mosul in Iraq in 1987 and came to the UK in 2008.
He settled in Fife in 2010 taking up a position at Victoria Hospital.
Alrahow denied that he was unfit to practise as a doctor at the MPTS hearing, despite his conviction.
Shamed doctor appeared by video link despite Scottish arrest warrant
Appearing by video link, Alrahow told the panel he fled to Iraq because he feared he would be at risk of being “physically and psychologically abused” if he went to prison in Scotland.
Furthermore, he claimed his decision to flee the UK came after advice he received from friends and family to “leave the country”.
The MPTS tribunal acknowledged testimonials from colleagues and previous unblemished professional record.
However, it ruled that Alrahow’s fitness to practise was impaired because of his criminal conviction and further misconduct regarding bail.
It said: “The tribunal determined that an immediate order of suspension is necessary to protect confidence in the medical profession and is in the wider public interest.”
An immediate 28-day suspension order was imposed to allow Alrahow the right to appeal.
The MPTS also confirmed the removal of Dr Alrahow from the General Medical Council register with immediate effect.
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