15.04.2025 18:30
In an investigation conducted in England, it was revealed that a former soldier who had previously served in Afghanistan defrauded the Ministry of Defence of approximately £1 million by undergoing hair transplants, teeth whitening, and abdominal muscle aesthetic surgeries in Turkey.
In the UK, it has emerged that 34-year-old former corporal Aaron Stelmach-Purdie, who previously served in Afghanistan, stole £1 million from the Ministry of Defence by devising a 'plan' while working at the Regent's Park Barracks in central London.
HAIR TRANSPLANT, TEETH WHITENING, AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLE SURGERY IN TURKEY
The former soldier, who allocated £557,000 of the stolen money for himself, was found to have traveled to Turkey, where he underwent hair transplant, teeth whitening, and abdominal muscle surgery.
LUXURY SHOES AND LUGGAGE SET FOUND IN HIS HOME
During a search of Stelmach-Purdie's home, nine pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes, a Louis Vuitton luggage set, and three counterfeit Patek Philippe watches were discovered.
EXPENSE REQUESTS WITH FICTITIOUS SPENDING
It was determined that the former soldier planned the scandalous fraud with five other soldiers, and the transactions were carried out through fake requests uploaded to an online management portal between November 2014 and January 2016. Prosecutor Domonic Connolly, who is investigating the case, stated, "All of these defendants, who worked at the Regent's Park Barracks, made a series of fictitious expense and allowance requests that they were not entitled to."
PREPARED A TOTAL OF 161 FAKE REQUESTS
According to Prosecutor Connolly, Stelmach-Purdie and the five soldiers he assisted created fake expense requests through the Ministry of Defence's Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, adding fraudulent transactions to the system. A total of 161 fake requests were prepared during the period.
CONVICTED OF PEDOPHILIA, FRAUD, AND MONEY LAUNDERING
In his statement to the police, Stelmach-Purdie claimed that he got involved in this due to a poor mental health condition caused by the allegations against him. The former soldier was convicted of having sexual intercourse with a child four times and was discharged from the army in January 2016. In August 2023, Stelmach-Purdie was also convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud seven times and once for money laundering.