WAZIM Baksh, 37, of Lot 2 Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore yesterday, charged, indictably, with false pretence and fraudulent conversion.

But, after the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, one of which said, last March 8, at Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, with intent to defraud he tendered one US$100 note to Deodat Persaud knowing it to be a fake.
Another charge alleged that, on April 3, at Parika, another part of East Bank Essequibo, with intent to defraud, he used a forged Republic Bank Cheque number 002236 to obtain three outboard engines, property of Ravindra Budhoo, valued $4M.
A third allegation against the defendant is that, between February 1 and July 10, he obtained $500,000 from Robert Durga to lease a plot of land and fraudulently converted it to his own use.
However, attorney-at-law, Mr. Dexter Todd, representing Baksh, informed the court that Durga does not wish to proceed with that case and requested that the defendant be granted reasonable bail.
The lawyer said the engines were recovered and Baksh was wrongly prosecuted, since he was just doing the delivery.
The case involving Durga was dismissed but the others related to Persaud and Budhoo will be called, again, on July 18.
Meantime, Baksh was asked to post $650,000 surety.