REGISTRAR of the Deeds Registry (ag), Azeena Baksh was on Tuesday charged with obtaining money by false pretense and was released on $250,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Baksh, 33 of Eccles, East Bank Demerara denied that while being employed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) between May 1, 2014 and January 31, 2017 in Georgetown, she caused or procured valuable securities in the sum of $4.5M to be delivered to her Nova Scotia bank account for her own use pretending she was a contracted employee at the Deeds Registry.

Defense Counsel, Nigel Hughes in association with Attorney Priya Manickchand, made an application for Baksh to be released on self-bail given the fact that she is in her final trimester of pregnancy and was ordered to take bed rest.

Police Prosecutor, Arvin Moore did not object to bail but requested that it be set in a substantial amount under the condition that Baksh lodge her passport and report to the Criminal Investigation Department.

The Chief Magistrate granted bail in the sum of $250,000 and Baksh will return on June 6, 2017.

Baksh was appointed Acting Registrar of Deeds from July 16, 2012 with a stipulated salary of $326,171 monthly and was entitled to duty, entertainment and house allowances as well as subsistence allowance when working out-of-district, duty-free concessions every three years, leave passage allowance and 42 days annual vacation leave.

Additionally, she was entitled to security at her residence, paid residential and mobile phone charges and monthly internet service charges.

There was no mention by the JSC of a bi-annual gratuity as she was employed on the fixed establishment. In May 2014, the Deeds Registry was merged with the Commercial Registry pursuant to the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act No. 4/ 2013.

Back in April 2017, the Ministry of Legal Affairs had said that staff of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) had called upon it to investigate complaints of alleged financial improprieties committed by Baksh.

Both the Human Resource and Accounting Departments of the DCRA had complained that as Head of the Budget Agency and sole person in authority to approve and sign off the payroll of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority and one of the main signatories of the Authority’s bank account, the acting Registrar allegedly unlawfully paid herself gratuity, well knowing she was a pensionable employee, having been appointed by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).