AFTER months of investigations, two former employees of the Ministry of Business were on Wednesday charged over the forging and issuing of fake scrap metal export licences at the ministry.

Neilston McKenzie Jr, 38, and Omar Sutton, 29, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on separate charges and were each released on $150,000 and had their matter transferred to City Magistrate Fabayo Azore for January 10.
McKenzie, newly employed as a manager at Tower Hotel, denied that he forged a scrap metal export licence in favour of Puran Jagnaught of Avinash Scrap Metal Dealership, between June 20, 2017 and October 2, 2017, at Georgetown with intent to defraud.
Meanwhile, Sutton is charged with conspiring with persons known and unknown to forge a scrap metal export licence in favour of Steven Bourne between August 4, 2017 and October 4, 2017 at Georgetown. Sutton denied the charge.