By Kate McClymont
Despite having no formal qualifications and a conviction for fraud, for years a former bankrupt who bought his PhD on the internet has been able to pass himself off as a psychologist in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Titling himself Dr David Kaye, the 54-year-old currently runs the Sydney Trauma Clinic which offers services in the treatment and management of psychological trauma and related disorders.
Ali Davut Sarikaya, aka David Kaye, pictured in 1993.Credit: Sebastian Constanzo
In 2012 "Dr Kaye" was appointed to the NSW Bar Association's Professional Conduct Committee to assist in disciplinary matters against barristers.
Two years later he was asked to resign after issues relating to his identity and his past caught up with him.
In 1997 under his real name Ali Davut Sarikaya was convicted of obtaining money by deception from the Victorian WorkCover Authority.
The Turkish-born Sarikaya was bankrupted after he refused to pay the $24,290 judgment debt and costs of $6042.
Although he never formally changed his name, after his 1997 conviction he began calling himself Dr David Kaye.
During a police raid in 2009, police uncovered evidence which revealed that Mr Kaye's PhD had been bought for $249.95 from the American College of Metaphysical Theology.
For more than a decade various law enforcement bodies including the NSW police and the NSW Crime Commission have been pursuing him, without success.
But a recent investigation by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission found that Mr Kaye had no qualifications in psychology or counselling from any university and was providing health services in an unsafe and unethical manner.
The HCCC deemed Mr Kaye "poses a risk to the health and safety of the public".
He has been barred from providing mental health services until he gains the requisite qualifications.
But in a text message to Fairfax Media, Mr Kaye claimed that the HCCC was the latest of what he perceives is an ongoing persecution of him by government agencies.
Earlier this year Mr Kaye launched a multimillion-dollar damages claim in the NSW Supreme Court for malicious prosecution, false arrest, wrongful imprisonment and misfeasance of public office.
Mr Kaye alleged in his statement of claim that 83 charges had been laid against him between 2009 and 2011 but none had resulted in a conviction.
Mr Kaye claimed these charges destroyed his trauma clinics in Sydney and Melbourne.
The charges, which were dropped, included fraudulently using the title of "Dr".
Mr Kaye was also charged with fraud in relation to the New Zealand Inland Revenue service but a Sydney magistrate later found him not guilty. Even though Mr Kaye admitted to submitting false invoices to the New Zealand government for $100,000 in psychology services, the magistrate accepted his claims that he was only joking and would have remitted the money had it been paid.
Mr Kaye subsequently complained to the Police Integrity Commission that the officer in charge of the NZ matter had tried to extort $30,000 to make the matter go away.
He was later charged with making a false accusation over the bribe attempt but the matter did not proceed to court.
In April 2010 Victorian WorkCover charged Mr Kaye with fraud for submitting invoices falsely representing that he was a psychologist. According to Mr Kaye, those charges were withdrawn in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
In April 2010 Mr Kaye was also charged with 20 offences involving the fraudulent use of the letterheads of the NSW Medical Board and NSW WorkCover Authority as well as falsely using the signatures of their officers. Mr Kaye claimed those charges too were dropped.
Mr Kaye told Fairfax Media via a text message that he had had to drop his case for malicious prosecution because "I was told that if I continue my case it would not be possible for me and my family to live without continued prosecutions by the police or the state in NSW".
He said the recent HCCC case was "evidence" of this.
However, it appears that Mr Kaye discontinued his Supreme Court case after admitting he had lied under oath about his qualifications.
Mr Kaye indicated he intends to appeal the HCCC decision.