– after guilty pleas at Diamond Court
A MAN previously convicted for fraud-related offences has again been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to two fresh charges of obtaining by false pretence brought by the Special, Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).
Dave Rajeshwar Persaud was recently sentenced to a total of four years’ imprisonment by Magistrate Delon Bess at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court after admitting to defrauding two individuals of millions of dollars through separate schemes.
The matters had been scheduled for trial on May 22, 2026, but Persaud opted to plead guilty when the charges were called before the court.
According to the prosecution, the first charge stemmed from allegations that Persaud fraudulently obtained GYD $1.8 million from businessman Mitra Ramkumar.
Prosecutors said Persaud falsely claimed he operated a legitimate enterprise known as “David R Persaud Group of Companies” and promised to invest the money and repay GYD $3.222 million within 21 days.
The second charge related to allegations that Persaud obtained a black Toyota Allion motor car, registration number PAF 1697, valued at approximately GYD $2.6 million, from Joel De Souza under false pretence.
The court heard that Persaud claimed he would purchase the vehicle and pay for it by cheque, but allegedly had no intention of honouring the payment.
Following his guilty pleas, Magistrate Bess imposed a sentence of two years’ imprisonment on each charge. The sentences amount to a combined four years behind bars. Persaud appeared in court without legal representation.
SOCU’s case was presented by Attorneys-at-Law David Brathwaite and Darin Chan, along with Prosecutor Neville Jeffers.
The latest convictions add to Persaud’s growing criminal record involving fraud offences. In April 2025, he was prosecuted and convicted by SOCU for a similar offence and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
The offence of obtaining by false pretence falls under Section 194 of Guyana’s Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01. The law criminalises acts in which a person dishonestly obtains money, property or other benefits through deception or fraudulent misrepresentation.
In a statement following the court proceedings, SOCU reiterated its commitment to pursuing financial criminals and recovering proceeds derived from unlawful activity through asset recovery and civil-forfeiture proceedings.
