CUBAN, Yuri Garcia Dominguez, who is before the courts on over 100 fraud charges in relation to an alleged Ponzi scheme operation in Guyana, was, on Friday, granted $200,000 bail for allegedly forging a COVID-19 test result.

Dominguez, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.

He denied that on July 27, at Georgetown, he conspired with his wife, Ateeka Ishmael, and persons unknown to forge a COVID-19 test to show he was positive.

Magistrate Daly released Dominguez on $200,000 bail and adjourned the matter until November 5.

On August 20, Ishmael was charged for a similar offence and was also released on $200,000 bail.

The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that the police, in July, had instituted a series of new charges against the two and after they failed to appear at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, their then attorney, Dexter Todd, produced two medical certificates purporting to show that they had tested positive for the deadly virus.

The medical certificates later became the subject of a police investigation during which it was discovered that both were forged.

On August 6, the couple appeared before the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court for the 38 new charges and were released on self-bail.

The couple is accused of soliciting millions of dollars from hundreds of Guyanese who were enticed by extraordinary returns of approximately 40 per cent. Investors were also encouraged to enlist additional investors on a commission (10 per cent) from the couple’s business, Accelerated Capital Firm Inc.

The firm was not registered with the Guyana Securities Council to conduct financial business either as an investment adviser and/or a broker.

The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Cap. 10:11 prohibits businesses from operating as financial institutions, without the necessary registration for regulation and supervision by the Regulatory Authorities, FIU and the Guyana Securities Council.

Dominguez, his wife and their company have been in the limelight since early August 2020, when they were accused of running a ponzi scheme. Over 17,000 persons allegedly invested more than US$20 million in the company.

The couple subsequently appeared in various courts on dozens of charges and was released on bail totalling over $30 million.