Thirty-two-year-old Leon Harris of Cemetery Road, Lodge, was placed on $250,000 bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday for allegedly obtaining over $700,000 from a man by pretending that he was in the position to get a bank loan for him.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of obtaining money by false pretence after it was read by acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
He denied that on May 18, with intent to defraud, he obtained $775,000 from Gowcharran Persaud by falsely pretending that he was in the position to get a bank loan for him.
Harris stated “I dunno nothing bout all dah money”. He said that he did tell Persaud that he would assist him in getting the loan and that he received $80,000 “to pass the word” to his friend who had gotten him his loan to buy a car.
He said that he received the money in parts from Persaud, noting that “it was twenty thousand first then a forty then another twenty that he gave a friend to bring to me”.
However, Persaud, who was also present in court, stated that Harris had promised to get him the loan from the popular local bank since he knew someone who works there.
He said that they went to the bank and a female, who appeared to work there, greeted them and Harris informed him that she was the person who would get him the loan.
He said that he handed over $500,000 to the woman and was told that an agent would call him that afternoon to iron out the details.
He said that the person called the next day and told him that they needed $275,000 more to get the loan for him.
He noted that he went back to the bank and again met the female who he handed over the money to.
He said that several days later another friend called him and told him that Harris had robbed him and that when he started to investigate the matter Harris denied being involved in any money transaction between them and the female at the bank.
Harris then interjected and stated that the police should check the bank’s surveillance camera to determine if he was truly there as Persaud stated.
The magistrate ordered that Harris return to court on September 20.
