Jamal Gilbert, who was employed as a sales representative at VSH United (Guyana) was released on bail by Magistrate Leron Daly after being slapped with five fraud-related charges and appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.
The 21-year-old father of one is accused of forging audit documents, uttering same, and offering false information to Police ranks.
The first charge alleged that between January 1, 2019, and March 5, 2019, at Middle Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he forged a document, that is, an auditor’s report in favour of Midtown Hotel Restaurant and Bar purporting to show that it was signed by Drubahadur and issued by D Bahadur Co Accounting Firm, while knowing same to be forged.
The second charge stated that between January 1, 2019, and March 5, 2019, at Middle Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he forged another auditor’s report, this time in favour of Total Medical Supplies Inc, purporting to show that it was signed by Drubahadur and issued by D Bahadur Co Accounting Firm, knowing same to be forged.
Meanwhile, the third charge stated that on March 5, 2019, at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Camp Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he uttered to Reon Sobers, a clerk at the agency, a forged auditor’s report in favour of Total Medical Supplies Inc purporting to show that same was signed by Drubahadur and issued by D Bahadur, knowing same to be forged.
It was further alleged that on March 5, 2019, at the Guyana Revenue Authority, Camp Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he uttered to Reon Sobers, a clerk at GRA, a forged auditor’s report in favour of Midtown Hotel Restaurant and Bar purporting to show that same was signed by Drubahadur and issued by D Bahadur Co Accounting Firm, knowing it to be forged.
The final charge stated that on March 29, at the Criminal Investigation Department, he gave Police Lance Corporal Prince, a public officer, information orally and in writing which he knew to be false, thereby causing the officer to use his lawful power to the annoyance of the person arrested.
The defendant denied all the charges after they were read to him.
Particulars of the matter revealed that D Bahadur went to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and reported that he was in possession of two audit reports which showed that he signed same and were issued by his business.
However, Drubahadur stated that he did not sign the documents and neither did his business issue same.
As a result of this, an investigation was conducted and Police made contact with Gilbert, who told investigators that the documents were given to him by Reon Sobers.
This led to Police later arresting Reon Sobers in connection with the matter. Further investigations were conducted and it was then revealed that Gilbert was the one who forged the signatures on the documents and later uttered it to Sobers, who is attached to GRA.
Meanwhile, Defence Attorney Leslie Sobers in a bail application asked that his client be released on bail, while noting that he is the sole breadwinner for his family.
Magistrate Daly granted Gilbert his pre-trial bail in the sum of G$100,000. The case was adjourned to October 4, 2019.
