FORTY-YEAR-OLD Rupawa Seenarine, of Lot 2 Adventure, was fined $50,000, by Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Monday, for obtaining money by false pretence.
The defendant pleaded guilty to nine counts of the offence at Whim Court.
Police Inspector Satrohan Dayaram, prosecuting, said, on June 6, Seenarine went to Bloomfield, where she told Parbattie Seodat, Gaitri Kanhai, Jemwattie Hemlall, Chandrawattie Baijnauth, Devi Narine, Melowattie Seodat, Anuradha Somar, Bishshaut Harrillall and Tackoor Puran Nauth, of John’s, Tain, that she was employed by Guyana Water Authority (GWI) to collect $2,000 each from them, to install a filter to their pipeline.
After showing them a badge, with the utility’s logo, her name and photograph attached, she threatened the virtual complainants with disconnection, if they failed to pay her the money, the prosecutor said.
He added that, after they had paid, the group reported to the GWI Office, at Chesney, another Corentyne village and the staff responded with the Police, who arrested Seenarine in the area with $22,000 in her possession and a book with the complainants’ signatures.