Police Prosecutor, Inspector Maxine Graham, yesterday said investigations are ongoing in the million-dollar fraud at the Office of the President and more charges are likely.

Her announcement came when three young women charged in relation to the case appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.

Kaieteur News

The two who appeared Monday before Mr. Sullivan, reappeared and one was granted bail after her lawyer presented a medical certificate to prove she is very ill and further incarceration may be harmful to her.

OP financial records missing, hundreds of millions unaccounted for

Shivana Sewnarine of Klien, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, and Shalini Ram, 20, of Doctor Dam, La Grange, West Bank Demerara, have been charged jointly with, on December 8 last, obtaining $2.5M from the Bank of Guyana by falsely pretending the sum was payable to S. Panday.

Sewnarine, however, is on four separate fraud-related charges allegedly committed while being employed at the Office of the President (OP). She and Ram were remanded to prison when they first appeared in court Monday.

The following day, in the same court, Sewnarine appeared with Denise Jones jointly charged with stealing a cheque leaf from OP on November 30 last. She and Jones were remanded.

Yesterday, all three women appeared before Mr. Sullivan and their lawyers sought bail for them.

However, only one was successful after attorney Glen Hanoman said his client (Ram) is very ill, suffering from asthma. He said he had a letter from her place of employment saying she is an honest woman.

Ram was granted $300,000 bail.

Attorney Hukumchand applied for bail for Sewnarine saying he had an ultra sound report to prove she is 11 months pregnant.

He added that she has already spent several days on remand and was made to see the other side of civilisation.

The court, however, ruled in favour of the prosecution and denied bail for Sewnarine and Jones.

All three are to appear again in court on December 27.

Saturday, December 23, 2006