TWO individuals accused of defrauding a man of $5.6 million under the guise of securing house lots and land were, on Friday, granted bail when they appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The defendants—29-year-old Sophia Singh of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and 40-year-old taxi driver Feroz Mohamed—were jointly charged with three counts of obtaining money by false pretense. They both denied the allegations when the charges were read to them by Magistrate Annette Singh.
According to the charges, the duo allegedly collected a total of $5.64 million from the complainant, Chet Singh, on three separate occasions in June and August 2025.
Investigators said the pair promised to obtain house lots and land for the man despite knowing they had no authority or ability to do so.
The first incident reportedly occurred on June 13 at Robb Street, Georgetown, when the accused obtained $2.4 million. Six days later, on June 19, they allegedly received a further $3 million.

The third payment of $240,000 was made on August 13.
In court, Sophia Singh’s lawyer argued that she was not a flight risk, had no prior convictions, and would attend her trial. Mohamed’s attorney, Latchmie Rahamat, maintained that her client was only hired to transport a package and had no financial dealings with either party.
The prosecution opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the offences and the likelihood of additional charges. Nevertheless, Magistrate Singh granted each defendant $300,000 bail with conditions: both must report monthly to the Brickdam Police Station and surrender their passports. The case has been adjourned to September 19.
The Ministry of Housing and Water has issued stern warnings to the public to beware of fraudulent schemes involving the sale of government lands.
Citizens are urged to conduct all transactions directly through the Ministry’s official channels and to report any suspicious activities immediately.