$175,000 bail for former ADB employee on 28 counts of fraud

A former employee of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) appeared before Port-of-Spain Magistrate Ejenny Espinet yesterday charged with 28 counts of fraud. Hermes Granville, 29, former ADB clerk, of Belle Eau Road, Belmont, is accused with attempting to defraud the total sum of $286,238.95 from RBTT Bank, Park Street using Republic Bank Independence Square cheques payable to the RBTT Bank drawn on the account of the ADB during the period May 2001 to November 2002. The amounts included $15,572.29 in October 2001, $15,319.85 and $15,936.17 in December 2001 and $17,219.38 in January 2002. The charges were laid indictably by Cpl Sarreal Bachoo and Cpl Charmaine Williams of the Fraud Squad. Following the lengthy reading of the charges, Defence attorney and PNM MP Fitzgerald Hinds said, “I observe the charges are laid indictably.”

Espinet informed the attorney that she would not “interfere” with the bail sum. “It’s a substantial sum as well, my lady,” responded Hinds. Granville was granted $175,000 bail by a Justice of the Peace on Thursday night not long after her arrest. Photographers and cameramen from various media houses waited patiently outside the Court in an attempt to acquire images of the accused. MTS security guards attached to the court informed Newsday that Granville “escaped” with the assistance of Hinds through the Magistrates’ carpark located at the Knox Street side of the Court.