$4.3m bail for trio on 963 fraud charges

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Amrita Rampersad and her husband, Brahim, were each granted $2 million bail, while another accused was given $.3 million on 963 fraud charges.

The couple and Carl Lee, 43, a taxi and delivery driver, all of Gasparillo, reappeared in the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday where bail applications were made on their behalf.

The charges are in connection with a series of fraudulent transfers of $7.4 million from Caribbean Crewing and Manning Services Ltd in Point Lisas where Amrita Rampersad was employed as a payroll manager.

Rampersad, 37, an operations executive at an energy and marine services company, her husband, a taxi operator, and Lee were all ordered to surrender their passports and report twice a week to the Fraud Squad in San Fernando.

Rampersad was charged with 504 charges of falsification of accounts, 137 counts of larceny and 43 charges of money laundering. She is also jointly charged with her husband with 63 counts of larceny.

Rampersad’s husband also faces a further 159 counts of larceny and 21 counts of money laundering.

Lee is charged with 36 counts of larceny of more than $396,000.

The offences allegedly took place between 2013 and 2016. Following a report by company officials in 2017, Fraud Squad detectives led by Snr Supt Kenneth Deosaran conducted inquiries, including a financial audit at the company.

The couple was subsequently arrested at their home on January 28. The charges were laid by Sgt Samuel.

Prosecutor Cleyon Seedan confirmed Lee and Rampersad had no criminal record, but Brahim was previously charged more than ten years ago. Seedan objected to bail for all three based on the multitude of serious offences against them. If the court were to grant them bail, however, he asked that they surrender their passports and be given reporting conditions.

Although 558 offences allegedly occurred in the Couva district, he asked that the matters remain in the San Fernando Court and not be transferred. Attorney Renuka Rambhajan, who together with Lana Lakhan represented the couple, said the couple, married for 12 years are parents of two children ages three and 11 years old.

She said they were arrested after a warrant was executed at their home and their electronic devices and documents were seized. Although the total charges involved a figure of $7.4 million, she said that money was not relatively available to the couple.

In her application for bail, she said the offences did not involve violence and they were not a threat to society.

Lee’s attorney, Akini Cobbler, said his client lives with his parents and will abide by any bail conditions imposed by the court. The magistrate rejected a cash bail alternative and granted bail with magistracy registrar approval. She advised them of their right to apply to a judge in chambers for a variation of their bail.

The matters were adjourned to March 4.