Real estate agent charged for house lot fraud

TIMES INT'L

A man was granted bail on Monday by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine- Beharry for taking money from an another man in return for a house lot.

Norman Phillips, Lot 150 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara, made an appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge of obtaining money by false presence.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that between November 15 and 16 in Georgetown, he obtained Gy$ 170,000 from the virtual complainant (VC), Harford Carr, by falsely pretending that he was in a position to obtain a house lot.

Prosecutor Jairam Luckhai stated that the VC is an overseas based Guyanese and was introduced to the defendant in November. The VC indicated that he was interested in a house lot, so the defendant took him into the Central Housing Department. The defendant then told the VC that the lot will cost Gy$ 500,000.

On March 15, the VC gave the defendant Gy$ 100,000 and on the following day, the defendant was given a further Gy$ 70,000 by the VC. However the defendant did not give the VC any receipts, as such the VC became suspicious and reported the matter to the Central Housing Department, who brought the matter to the attention of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters. Investigations were then carried out after which the defendant was charged. The prosecutor had no objections to bail but asked that conditions be applied.

Phillips was unrepresented and told the court that he has a 13-year-old daughter to maintain. The man added that he has been in real estate for eight years and never had this problem before. The defendant added that the police went to his house and took all his documents.

The magistrate informed the defendant that he will be granted bail on the conditions that he lodge his passport and report to the CID headquarters every Friday at 18: 00h.

Phillips was granted bail in the sum of Gy$250,000.

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