Polar beer scam…
ONE of the accused, who was absent when the others made their Court appearance following investigations into the Polar beer scam, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday.

Customs Officer Ann Noel was put on $95,000 bail after two joint conspiracy charges were read to her.

She was not present when 12 other Customs Officers and two brokers jointly faced 72 counts of forgery and conspiracy.

Those 14 co-accused who went to Court last April 28 were Rajendra Rajcoomar, 42, of Lot 73 ‘B’ Non Pariel; Anthony Girdhari, 32, of Lot 7 Cummings Lodge and Karen Bobb-Semple, 35, of Lot 112 Melanie Damishana, all on East Coast Demerara; Samantha Sam, 30, of Lot 32 East La Penitence; Michelle Matthias, 31, of Lot 538 South Ruimveldt; Ausya Greenidge, 35, of Lot 531 South Sophia; Jasoda Mohamed, 49, of Lot 68 D’Andrade Street and Sadesh Pitamber, 27, of Lot 78 Da Silva Street, both in Newtown; Rhonda Gladd, 29, of Lot 7 and Vickie Sooknanan, 31, of Lot 54 Middle Road, two La Penitence addresses, all in Greater Georgetown; Simone Herod, 40, of Lot 226 ‘BB’ Eccles, East Bank Demerara; Roopnarine Ramkishun, 48, of Lot 118 and Rabindra Ramsuran, 26, of Lot 65, also of Patentia, West Bank Demerara and Satesh Basdeo, 31, of Lot 25 Crane, West Coast Demerara.

The Special Prosecutor, Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos requested an adjournment, stating that the Prosecution needs time to organise and to consider certain cases.

Disclosing that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is presently on leave, he said this will give the Prosecution enough time to deal with the case.

Defence Counsel Nigel Hughes, who is representing some of the Customs Officers, said that, meantime, all his clients have been blacklisted and cannot travel abroad.

He asked that De Santos give a more definitive indication when the accused return to Court on July 28.

De Santos said he was informed that one of the accused is interfering with a witness for the Prosecution but he did not elaborate.

The Customs Officers and brokers are charged indictably and Rajcoomar alone faces 13 charges of forgery, which said, between June 20 and November 27, 2007, he forged invoices in favour of Kong Inc., purporting to relate to beverages and, between the same dates, he forged Customs declaration forms purporting to concern assorted drinks.

He is also jointly charged with Sam on 21 counts of forgery, which allege that, between July 19 and December 23, 2007, they forged Customs declaration forms in favour of Kong Inc. purporting to be for assorted drinks.

Sam and Matthias are joined on four forgery charges, alleging that, on October 29, 2007, they forged Customs declaration forms, purporting to be for assorted drinks.

Matthias alone is charged on 17 counts of forgery, which said, between July 12 and December 21, 2007, she forged assessment notices in relation to Customs declaration forms, purporting to show that they were filled by an officer of the Valuation Division of Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Rajcoomar, Sam, Matthias, Gladd, Bobb-Semple, Herod, Ramkishun, Greenidge, Mohamed, Ramsuran, Pitamber, Basdeo, Noel, Girdhari and Sooknanan are jointly charged on 17 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.

Those allegations are that, between July 12 and December 23, 2007, they conspired together and with persons unknown to be knowingly concerned with fraudulent Customs duties, in relation to the importation of Polar beer.

Rajcoomar and Matthias are on $600,000 bail each; Sam on $400,000; Pitamber on $95,000 and the others on $200,000, individually.

The multi-agency probe was ordered after it was suspected that Customs Officers had colluded in defrauding Government of revenue payable for the importation of Polar beer by Fidelity Inc that passed Customs as soft drinks.