African on fraud charge denied bail

A 40-year-old African man appeared yesterday before a Port-of-Spain magistrate on a fraud charge. When the charge was read, Magistrate Espinet appointed attorney Patrick Godson-Phillips to represent Williams Lwimba of Nairobi. The court heard that on Monday at RBTT Bank on Independence Square Port-of-Spain, Lwimba attempted to cash a false American Express traveller’s cheque worth 500 pounds. PC Gilkens of the Fraud Squad laid the indictable charge.

Godson-Phillips told the court it was in the best interest of his client that the relevant embassy be contacted so relatives of the accused could be informed of the situation. He said his client was intransit to England when he was held, and is the holder of two passports, British and African. Godson-Phillips told the court that the accused was anxious to have the matter dealt with. Police prosecutors then informed the magistrate the accused had not yet been traced and it was only a matter of time for the tracing to be done.

Espinet told Lwimba that the charge facing him was for a very serious offence, which carries a penalty of $20,000 and five years in prison. “You need to think very carefully about what it is you want to do. You can either do this matter here before me, or at the High Court, where the penalty is much higher.” Indicating she would give him time to think about what she had said, the magistrate remanded the accused in custody, denying him bail. “You are not a citizen and the fact that you are  intransit means you have no where to stay,” Espinet said. The matter was adjourned to January 31.