She appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle and pleaded guilty to the offence, particulars of which said, between July 27 and December 23, 2008, being a clerk at Supreme Air Condition and Appliance Store in Georgetown, she fraudulently embezzled $840,152.

Police Inspector Denise Griffith, prosecuting, successfully opposed bail for the defendant, saying the latter was collecting money from different customers and embezzled in excess of $1M but paid in some.

The Prosecutor asked that Joyeux be denied pre-trial freedom until she repays the cash.

The prisoner said she is willing to pay back but needs time to do so.
Joyeux returns to Court April 14.

In the same Court, Simona Etwaru, 26, of Lot 44 Providence, East Bank Demerara, was also denied bail on eight indictable charges of obtaining money by false pretence.

The allegations against her said she:
* on September 29, 2008, with intent to defraud, obtained $100,000 from Republic Bank on a forged cheque purporting to show that it was signed by Ramchand Netram, proprietor of Netram and Sons General Store;

* on September 20, 2008, obtained $50,000 from Demerara Bank on a forged cheque, purporting to show that it was signed by Netram;

* on September 11, 2008, obtained $40,000 from Demerara Bank on a forged cheque, purporting to show that it was signed by Netram;

* on August 20, 2008, obtained $75,000 from Demerara Bank on a forged cheque, purporting to show that it was signed by Netram;

* on September 19, 2008, obtained $50,000 from Republic Bank on a forged cheque, purporting to show that it was signed by Netram;

* on September 10, 2008, obtained $50,000 from Demerara Bank on a forged cheque, purporting to show that Netram signed it;

* on September 30, 2008, obtained $50,000 from Demerara Bank on a forged cheque, purporting to show that Netram also signed it and

* on August 11, 2008, obtained $80,000 from Demerara Bank on one more forged cheque, purporting to show that, it, too, was signed by Netram.

Defence Counsel Paul Fung-a-Fat claimed all the cheques were, indeed. signed by Netram, himself, but another person changed them at the bank.

The lawyer said, while the accused was in Police custody, she was made to sign Netram’s name several times and none of the signatures resembled that on the cheques.

However, Prosecutor Griffith, opposing a bail grant for Etwaru, said the Police had a difficult time locating her.

She said, when the alleged thefts occurred, the accused suddenly quit her job as a secretary at the company and was not found until recently.
The case will be called again April 14.