A FEMALE police officer, who is accused of defrauding an elderly man, found herself in hot water when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Tuesday charged with fraudulent conversion.

Twenty-one-year-old Police Constable Kezia Hall is accused of the charge which alleged that on May 27, at Georgetown, while being solely entrusted by Theodore Chesney with the sum of $68,000 for safe keeping, she converted the same to her own use and benefit.

Constable Hall denied the allegation while her lawyer, Mr. Nigel Hughes explained to the court that the charge is ‘malicious’ and is designed solely for the purpose of embarrassing the officer.

According to Hughes in his application for reasonable bail, the virtual complainant is an elderly man who lives overseas. He said the elderly man was ‘enchanted’ by his client on Facebook and befriended her. The lawyer noted that the VC in trying to woo the woman had sent her money for her own personal use. The man subsequently came to Guyana with the expectation that Hall would submit to him and became annoyed when she refused.

Hughes further pointed out that when a confrontation was held between his client and Chesney at the Police Complaints Authority the elderly man reportedly told the woman “if you just take me on I’ll drop the matter.” “I had written the Director of Public Prosecutions on the bases of the charge” the lawyer informed the court since he was surprised on the grounds of which the offence stemmed from.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Neville Jeffers made no objection to the officer being released on bail and the Chief Magistrate released the constable on self-bail and adjourned the matter until November 28 for statements.