Businessman on $.2m fraud charges

A CHAGUANAS businessman was yesterday arrested and charged by the Fraud Squad with four counts of fraud arising out of a $260,000 boat contract.

The 45-year-old man is to appear before a San Fernando magistrate today to answer the charges laid by Cpl Kent Ghisyawan. The man was arrested at his Chaguanas home around 4.30 am by a party of officers under Insp Leonard Charles, and included Sgt Joseph Frank, Cpl Ghisyawan and PCs Brian Popan, Anthony St Clair and Chandra Mungroo.  The investigations were spearheaded by Sr Supt Wellington Virgil, head of the Fraud Squad. The businessman was subsequently charged with four offences, one for larceny by trick of $260,000 and three counts of uttering forged documents.

The three forged documents are a certificate of appreciation from Petrotrin, a certificate of marine vessel registration from the Ministry of National Security, as well as a letter from the Ministry of National Security, stating that the businessman had the boat inspected. The Ministry of National Security documents were purportedly signed by Trevor Percival, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, who later denied the signatures.  Petrotrin also denied that the businessman was a manager at the organisation.

Police said last July, the businessman told another businessman from Princes Town that he was a Petrotrin manager and that he could arrange a contract to buy a boat to transfer Petrotrin workers offshore. The man said the boat will cost $750,000 and told the Princes Town businessman that he required $260,000 by September. Fraud Squad sources said the Princes Town businessman paid the $260,000 via several cheques and the alleged conman presented the relevant documents, which were later discovered to be forged.  The victim, through his attorneys, then made a report to the Fraud Squad. When the matter is called today, three of the charges will be transferred to the Princes Town Magistrate’s Court, while the fourth will be sent to the Chaguanas district court.