Doctor's appeal against indecent assault conviction dismissed

Ahmad went to the Appeal Court.

An Auckland doctor has been found guilty of indecently assaulting six women during physical examinations, in some cases squeezing or poking their breasts with his hands.

Dr Mushfiq Ahmad was sentenced to 12 month's home detention and ordered to pay $12,000 in reparations for emotional harm to the victims following a trial at the Manukau District Court.

Ahmad appealed the conviction but it was dismissed yesterday.

Ahmad was asked to provide medical certificates for temporary young female workers at a factory to confirm they were free of infectious diseases. The certificates were a requirement for the food to be sent to Russia.

Ahmad examined the women, and later 11 of them came forward to say they were touched inappropriately, including squeezing or poking their breasts with his hands.

After trial in April 2016, Judge Richard Earwaker found that Ahmad had indecently assaulted six of the complainants.

Ahmad's lawyer Ron Mansfield raised three grounds of appeal for Ahmad's conviction: that fresh evidence was available, trial counsel erred in not presenting this evidence and the Judge made a mistake in rejecting the evidence of the defence.

In the Court of Appeal Judge Geoffrey Venning dismissed the appeal against Ahmad's conviction.