Rice distributor placed on $1M bail –for obtaining credit by fraud

RICE distributor Bibi Faniza Deo, aged 45 years and of Lot 35 Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, has been accused of fraudulently obtaining $4.5M worth in grain from Nand Persaud and Company Limited, millers, and was on Monday ordered to post $1M bail by New Amsterdam Magistrate Charlyn Artiga.Jointly charged with her husband Chatterpaul Deo, who was absent from yesterday’s proceedings, Bibi Fanzia Deo was not required to plead to the charge of fraudulently obtaining credit.

She faces two counts, which alleged that on December 22, 2014, at Number 36 Village, Corentyne, she incurred a debt or liability of $2,294,100 from Nand Persaud and Company Limited for the payment of a quantity of rice, obtained on credit to the said amount by falsely pretending that she was in a position to effect valid payment by means of a cheque; and she did issue a Bank of Novia Scotia cheque, number 000059 for $2,294,000 as payment, but same was dishonoured by the said bank.

On the other charge, it is alleged that on January 2 last, she incurred a debt or liability of $2,069,550 from Nand Persaud and Company Limited for the payment of a quantity of rice obtained under credit to the said amount by falsely pretending that she was in a position to effect valid payment by means of a cheque; and she did issue a Bank of Novia Scotia cheque, number 000054 for $2,069,550 as payment, but same was dishonoured by the said Bank of Novia Scotia.

Counsel for the defence, Mr. Jerome Khan, told the court that his client was forcefully taken by the employer’s servant to the police station; but a source close to the investigations revealed that efforts to contact the defendant had proven futile, and it was only after she had been promised additional bags of rice under the pretext that she would repay the owed sum “a little at a time” that she turned up for the grain, only to be arrested.

Further, 13 charges totalling the sum of $33M are expected to be instituted shortly. The matter has been transferred to the Whim Magistrate’s Court for report on March 19.

In the meanwhile, the defendant has been ordered to report at the Vigilance Police Station every Friday at 15:00hrs.

 

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