Convicted fraudster accused of impersonating Health Minister, scams man of $2.1M

An inmate of the Camp Street Prison was on Friday accused of impersonating Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence and swindling over $2.1M in phone credit from a businessman.

Mohammed Ali, who is currently serving a sentence for similar charges, appeared before City Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court charged with obtaining money by false pretence.

It is alleged that between October 5, 2018, and October 10, 2018, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Ali obtained from Julius Belgrave $2.1M worth in phone credit by falsely pretending that he was Minister Lawrence.

Belgrave, after transferring the credit, went to the Ministry of Public Health to collect the payment where he realized that he fell victim to the scam.

In court, Ali said, “I’m incarcerated, I’m a high profile prisoner at the Camp Street prison and I’m on lockdown.”

Magistrate Daly remanded him until February 21, 2019.

In December 2017, Ali was charged for impersonating First Lady, Sandra Granger and swindling money from women under the pretence of giving them scholarships.

He was slapped with three counts of obtaining money by false pretence and was sentenced to three months on each charge.