A minibus conductor was charged with uttering a forged document and forgery when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson in Court One yesterday.

Richard Rodney, 28, of 15 Industry Railway Line, East Coast Demerara, is alleged to have uttered with intent to defraud  a forged driver’s licence in favour of Emanuel Grant to a police constable to show that the document was issued by the Revenue Office, knowing same to be forged.

When he was read the charge he pleaded guilty but when the magistrate informed him of the jail time the offence carries, he promptly changed his plea to not guilty.

According to the second charge,  between March 1 and 30, he forged one driver’s licence in favour of Emanuel Grant purporting to show it had been issued by the Revenue Office, knowing same to be false.  He denied the charge.

Rodney told the court that he was sorry and wanted a chance to begin working.  He said that he was accepted into the nursing programme at the Georgetown Public Hospital which begins in the next two weeks and he wanted a chance to utilize the opportunity.

Prosecutor Inspector Stephen Telford objected to bail and said that the offence should be taken seriously. The punishment meted out should act as a deterrent to persons attempting the same act in the future, Telford stated.

He said that the accused had placed a photo of himself in Emanuel Grant’s licence so that he might be able to drive a minibus.

Telford added that as a driver Rodney would have the lives of many persons in his hands and if an accident occurred, there would be no form of compensation for the injured. He then showed the court the alleged forged licence.

Rodney was then refused bail and the matter was put down for April 9 in Court Two.