The Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday said that a bank account was opened at the beginning of this month in order to facilitate the return of millions of dollars invested by persons in suspected Ponzi scheme, Accelerated Capital Firm (ACF) however there has been no progress.
No funds were transferred into the account by the company principals, Yuri Garcia-Dominguez and Ateeka Ishmael after they were reportedly ordered by their lawyer to not conduct any transactions until the charges against them are withdrawn by the police.
This disclosure was made yesterday by Police spokesman Assistant Commission-er Royston Andries-Junor. He was at the time responding to claims made at a press conference on Tuesday by the couple’s lawyer that a bank account was never provided to initiate reimbursement of the funds.
According to the police, a Demerara Bank account was established on September 4th, 2020 under the ACF name with Garcia-Dominguez and Ishmael listed as signatories.
The following day, the police said, Garcia-Dominguez asked to be provided with a computer with an Internet connection in order to process the transfer of the funds into the account while in prison.
As such measures were taken by the police and prison authorities to facilitate the same. The police said that the couple’s lead Attorney was informed of the developments.
“….When Mr Garcia-Dominguez was given a computer with internet access in prison, he claimed that it was not convenient to conduct his transactions in the environment of the Prison. He then requested access to a computer with internet in a more convenient location,” the police statement explained.
As a result, the police said that between September 7 and 11, systems were established and Garcia-Dominguez was transported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary for him to transfer the funds.
Whilst there, the police noted that Garcia-Dominguez interacted with members of the Fraud and Cyber Crime Units after which he was given a computer with Internet access to conduct the transaction.
“Mr. Garcia-Dominguez claimed he was still unable to conduct the transactions and requested the use of his cellular telephone. His cell phone was being kept in police custody while he was in prison,” the police said.
“Mr. Garcia-Dominguez was given the use of his cell phone under close police supervision,” they added.
According to the statement, Garcia-Dominguez then informed the police that he was advised by his lawyer not to conduct “any transaction” unless the police withdraw the charges which he is currently facing.
“The police then informed Mr. Garcia-Dominguez that they cannot take such action and that such decisions can only be made by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)”, the statement noted.
Garcia-Dominguez and Ishmael are currently facing over 70 charges of conspiring with other persons to obtain monies by false pretence while operating under the name of ACF.
The names of the alleged victims and the amount of cash for each remains unknown.
The couple made their latest court appearance on Monday during which they were accused of conspiring with other persons to obtain a total of seven million dollars by false pretence. It is alleged that the couple conspired with others to obtain over seven million from seven victims.
They were both granted bail in the sum of $300,000 on each charge or $2.1 million in total. They are to make their next appearance on October 5th, 2020.
On Tuesday last, the couple were faced with 14 charges at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court. On September 2nd, the couple were slapped with 11 charges in Georgetown.
On August 27th, they appeared before two courts and they were faced with 19 charges of conspiring with other persons to obtain monies by false pretense.
The couple also appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court, where they were read 12 charges.
On August 29th, the couple were arraigned before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts via Skype and they faced 10 charges of conspiring to obtain monies by false pretence with the intention to defraud.
The Guyana Police Force has said that Dominguez, 34, a naturalised Guyanese of Cuban origin, and his wife, Ishmael, 32, both of Track A, Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, were detained as part of an ongoing investigation of alleged fraud. Approximately 17,000 Guyanese lost hundreds of millions of dollars after they invested with the unlicensed company run by the couple.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has said that the police have obtained a total of 69 statements from investors, who reached out to the Criminal Investigation Department. These individuals had 77 transactions amounting to $135 million, Blanhum disclosed.
The police also said yesterday that separate bail applications were made for the couple to the High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon and Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, on September 14 and bail was refused.
