Clerks attached to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) were among a group of persons charged this morning for forging several cheques to the value of $19.4 million, in the name of their place of employment.
Leroy Green, 26, an accountant of Lot 31 Williams Street, Kitty, Ivor Dowridge, 26, a GRA clerk of 35 Second Street Cummingslodge, Tooqwan Clarke, 25, a GRA clerk of lot 264 West Ruimveldt Georgetown, and 38-year-old Randi Gladstone were all charged. They were not required to plead to the two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The first charge states that Randi Gladstone, between October 28, 2020, and May 11, 2021, at Georgetown, conspired with Leroy Green, Ivor Dowridge, Tooqwan Clarke, Romeshchand Singh, Komalram Persaud, Devindra Moteeram, Anush Persaud, and other persons to forge a Bank of Guyana cheque, dated April 20, amounting to $9,875,000, in favor of Sharessa Tappin, purporting to show that same was issued by the GRA, Internal Revenue Department, knowing same to be forged.
The second charge states that Randi Gladstone, between October 28, 2020, and May 11, 2021, at Georgetown, conspired with Leroy Green, Ivor Dowridge, Tooqwan Clarke, Romeshchand Singh, Komalram Persaud, Devindra Moteeram, Anush Persaud, and other persons to forge a Bank of Guyana cheque, dated April 9, amounting to $9,550,000 purporting to show that same was issued by the GRA, Internal Revenue Department, knowing same to be forged.
Gladstone was remanded to prison after the magistrate heard that he has a similar matter before the court. Gladstone was previously charged with fraud committed by the Ministry of Business.
Meanwhile, his co-accused were each released on $600,000 bail. They were required to lodge their passports with the court and report to the Police Station every Monday until the conclusion of the matter. The matter was adjourned until June 2.
Singh, Persaud, Moteeram, Khan, and Tappin were charged for the crime on Tuesday when they appeared before Magistrate Daly. Tappin, who is currently serving a sentence, was remanded while Singh, Persaud, Moteeram, and Khan were released on $600,000 bail each.
