A former employee was yesterday charged with swindling the Ministry of Public Works of nearly $2M.
Pennelope Persaud of Vision Gardens, Versailles, West Bank Demerara, was admitted to bail in the sum of $400,000 after being arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on four fraud charges.
It is alleged that between June 1 and December 31, 2013, being employed as a clerk or servant at the Ministry of Public Works,
she fraudulently embezzled in one instance, the sum of $448,615 and in another the sum of $1,571,814 belonging to the Ministry.
Additionally, on January 2, 2014, with intent to defraud, Persaud is alleged in one case to have forged one memorandum of agreement purporting to show that David Dazzell and in the other case Kentia Gobin were both employed by the Ministry as equipment operators, knowing same to be false.
The accused was not required to plead to the indictable charges when they were read to her by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
When asked by the court, Prosecutor Michael Grant said that the facts were as stated in the charges and no further details of the charges were given to the court.
In a passionate application for bail, Persaud’s attorney Leslie Sobers described her as a staunch church-goer with strong ties to her community.
He said she was a graduate from the University of Guyana in the field of accountancy and had no antecedents nor pending matters.
According to Sobers, Persaud’s job had “nothing to do with money” and he begged the court for reasonable bail while saying that the woman is presently unemployed. He said too that she is married and posed no risk of flight. .
The prosecution had no objections to bail but bus was successful in its request that Persaud reports to the Fraud Squad, at Eve Leary every two weeks, beginning next Friday.
After hearing the case the magistrate informed Persaud that was being admitted to $100,000 bail on each charge. She will make her next court appearance on November 10
