Plastic surgeon denies impersonating US doctor

An American plastic surgeon has denied impersonating a top American doctor to Hollywood stars and practicing medicine illegally in the UAE, the Dubai Appeals Court heard on Monday.

The 40-year-old suspect, SGM, told Presiding Judge Adnan Al Farra when he defended himself in court: "I am an American surgeon and these charges are based on incorrect accusations… I am not guilty."

SGM handed a written defence to the judge who will issue a verdict on August 30, reported Gulf News.

The surgeon was appealing his primary conviction, for which he was sentenced to two months in jail followed by deportation.

The Dubai Misdemeanors Court had convicted him of unlawfully practicing medicine and impersonating Dr Steven B Hopping. He had also been found guilty of forging a labour card from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital that bore Hopping's name.

The court jailed him for practicing medicine without obtaining proper permission from the Ministry of Health and without adhering to the required conditions.

Earlier this month, the accused was also jailed for one month for performing an illegal plastic surgery on a Palestinian woman.

In July, the Dubai Misdemeanors Court sentenced the defendant to three months in jail for accidentally injuring a 31-year-old Romanian woman.