Fmr. Gov’t employees charged with forging scrap metal licenses

Two former employees of the Ministry of Business on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, accused of forging scrap metal export licenses.

The men, 38-year-old Neilston McKenzie Jr. of Timehri, East Bank Demerara and 29-year-old Omar Sutton of Pike Street, Kitty Georgetown, were charged separately at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

McKenzie is now employed as a Manager at Tower Hotel; it is alleged that between June 20, 2017, and October 2, 2017, at Georgetown with intent to defraud, he forged a scrap metal export license in favour of Puran Jagnaught of Avinash Scrap metal dealership.

He denied that charge and his attorney, Keoma Griffith told the court that McKenzie also works with the Criminal Investigations Department as a Communication and Language Coach.

Meanwhile, Sutton denied that between August 4, 2017, and October 4, 2017, at Georgetown, he conspired with persons known and unknown to forge a scrap metal export licence in favour of Steven Bourne.

Prosecutor Simone Payne did not object to bail and they were each released on $150,000 bail; the matter was transferred to Magistrate Fabayo Azore for another report on January 10, 2018.