St James woman on bond for fraud

ST JAMES resident Zenovia Susan Edwards, who had earlier pleaded guilty to three fraud offences, was last Friday placed on a $20,000 bond to keep the peace for four years by High Court Judge Paula Mae Weekes after the results of a psychiatric examination was presented to the court. In addition, she was ordered to report to a probation officer on the second Tuesday of every month between 8 am and 4 pm for counselling. In default Edwards would be brought back to court for sentencing on the original charge. The psychiatric examination was ordered on October 31, after Edwards’ attorney Ian Brooks expressed concerns about his client whom he said “seemed to be operating outside the natural realm.” After seeking legal assistance under Section 6d of the Mental Health Act, Justice Weekes ordered that Edwards be remanded for psychiatric examination by the psychiatric director at an appropriate place. On October 31, Edwards, 32, of Ross Lands, St James pleaded guilty to attempting to attain money by false pretenses, forgery and uttering a false document. When the matter resumed

Justice Weekes, who presided over the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court explained that the facts of the State’s case were troubling and incomprehensible. The judge also pointed out that she had never come across such a case during her combined time at the bar or on the bench. The judge said that it was fortunate that no money was actually lost during the fraud, and noted that such offences were serious and carried very stiff penalties. The facts were that on November 12, 1998, Edwards, who was employed at the Personnel Department at the St Ann’s Hospital, compiled a fraudulent paysheet and forwarded it to the Ministry of Health Accounts Department. In addition to the fake paysheet, she also forged the signature of an accounting officer approving the paysheet. Discrepancies were discovered with the paysheet and the police were called in. Edwards reportedly told the officers that there were “big people” involved and that she was forced to prepare the documents since the lives of her mother and brothers’ were in danger. The State was represented in the matter by attorney Cheron Raphael.