Almost three years after being charged with fraudulently authorising payments to herself amounting to just over $4.5 million, Registrar of Deeds Azeena Baksh was yesterday found guilty of the offence.
Baksh, who had been on $250,000 bail, had denied the charge that while being an appointee of the Judicial Service Commission, between May 1st, 2014 and January 31st, 2017, with intent to defraud, she caused or procured valuable securities to the sum of $4,534,480 to be delivered to her bank of Nova Scotia account for her own use and benefit by pretending that she was a contracted employee of the Deeds and Commercial Registries.
At yesterday’s hearing, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, who was presiding over the trial, ruled that based on the evidence presented to the court by both the prosecution and Baksh, she found sufficient evidence which backed the prosecution’s case and therefore Baksh was found guilty of the offence. The magistrate, after careful consideration of the offence and the penalty it attracts, spared Baksh jail time. Instead, Baksh was ordered to make a full restitution of $4,534,480 to the state.
Baksh, who was represented by attorney Nigel Hughes, was granted three months to pay the money in full. But before leaving the court, she was ordered to make the first payment of $1,133,621.
