A man was refused bail when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday charged with attempting to defraud a businessman by way of a forged cheque.

When Michael Budhoo, 50, of 241 Forshaw Street, Queenstown was read the charge he accused the police of trumping up charges against him.  He argued that the police had something against him.

It is alleged that on June 11 at No. 78 Village, Berbice with intent to defraud, he obtained from Khalil Nazamedeem 21 STIHL motor blowers valued at $1.092M and one AC unit valued $75,000; the total value being $1,167,000 upon a Republic Bank cheque purporting to show it was issued by Tent City, knowing same to be forged.

Budhoo said that while he was on the police identification (ID) parade, he was not identified by the complainant in the matter.  He said the previous charges against him were dismissed and now the police were trying to pin a new charge on him.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Stephen Telford asked for bail to be refused.  He said that on the day in question, Budhoo went to the businessman and presented a cheque to him and received the articles.  However when Nazamedeen went to change the cheque, he was informed that it was a forgery. Telford said that Tent City had lost one of its cheque books and had informed the bank, thereby putting them on alert for anyone tendering cheques within a certain series.

Telford asked the magistrate to take into account Budhoo’s previous charges on similar offences and indicated that it was likely that further charges will be laid against him.

Budhoo countered that he was never in Springlands and said that Nazamedeen’s version of the story had changed once in the presence of the police.

He was then remanded and the matter transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court for July 8.