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Two remanded in $80M house lot racket

Sep 07, 2012 News

 

 

– 18 more charges likely

A 19 year-old clothes vendor and a 25-year-old laboratory technician were yesterday remanded for allegedly conducting a multi-million housing scam racket that saw several persons paying thousands of dollars to acquire bogus house lots.
Denita Griffith of Seaforth, Campbellville, Georgetown and Balkaran Lillie, of 26 North East Grove, East Bank Demerara, made their first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine- Beharry.
The duo was slapped with three charges of obtaining by false pretence.
The police alleged that between May 23rd and June 30th, May 1st and June 5th and again on June 5th, the two accused obtained from Latchmie Manbodh the sum of $380,000; from Benna Stanislaus the sum of $660,000 and from Ramkumar Rajban the sum of $250,000 respectively. They were not required to plea to the indictable charges.
Griffith’s lawyer, Rexford Jackson, was not in court but another defense attorney, Paul Fung-a-Fat stood for him. Lillie was unrepresented.
Fung-a-Fat said that Griffith operated her own business as a vendor in Bartica before she moved to Georgetown. He said the charges were directly related to Lillie and not Griffith. On those grounds, he requested bail for his client.
The police are alleging that the two accused had set up a system where they collected money from house applicants under the pretext that they were in a position to acquire lands for those applicants. They were accused of tricking persons into believing that they had connections with staffers of the Ministry of Housing who would facilitate them in acquiring the house lots.
It is alleged that on different occasions the accused would approach persons going to the Housing Ministry for lands and engage in conversation. They were accused of pretending that they were in a position to acquire these lands at a faster and cheaper rate.
The police facts stated that the number one accused, Lillie, would wait as persons entered the Ministry of Housing compound and inform them that he was able to obtain a letter approving them for house lots since he had connections inside.
The police information revealed that Lillie would contact the number two accused, Griffith on a cell phone, and in the presence of the unsuspecting house lot applicant he would make arrangements with his accomplice to have the letter of approval ready.
At a later time, the house lot applicant would return to the Housing Ministry where Griffith would emerge from the Ministry building purporting to be one of the Ministry’s staffers. Money would allegedly be handed over, while the house lot applicant honestly believed that he/she would speedily receive a letter approving them for house lots in the Little Diamond area.
The accused were, however, nabbed when an investigation was launched by the police and staffers of the Housing Authority. Complaints reportedly started to pour in at the Housing Ministry where applicants reported difficulties in obtaining the house lots. Investigations led to the two accused who were reportedly placed on an identification parade and pointed out to authorities. They were thus charged with the offence.
Police further said that 18 more criminal charges are likely for the accused. They said that the other victims live out of town in areas such as Essequibo and Berbice and contact would have to be made with them to facilitate further investigations.
Griffith and Lillie were remanded to jail. They will return to court next Friday when the police are expected to have made contact with additional alleged victims.

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