Five charged for forging GRA cheques valued $19.4 million

Four men and a woman, accused of forging $19.4M worth in cheques in the name of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) were on Tuesday charged before City Magistrate Leron Daly.

Those charged are: Romeschand Singh, 40 of Back Street, Squatting Area, Grove, East Bank Demerara; Komalram Persaud, 25, of Golden Grove; Devindra Moteeram, 24 of Jackson Dam, East La Penitence, Georgetown; Anush Khan, 29 of Golden Grove, Diamond; and Shareesa Tappin, 26, of Clifford Avenue, Georgetown.

Police claimed that Singh, between October 28, 2020 and May 11, 2021 conspired with Persaud, Moteeran, Khan and other persons to forge two Bank of Guyana cheques, purporting that these were issued by the GRA’s Internal Revenue Department. One was dated April 9, 2021 and was made out to the value of $9,550,000, while the other was dated April 20, 2021 and was made out to the value of $9,875,000.

The second cheque, valued $9, 875,000, was made out in the name of Shareeesa Tappin and she cashed it on May 11, 2021. She was charged for both presenting the forged cheque and for cashing it.

The five were not required to plead to the indictable charges.

Magistrate Daly released Singh, Persaud, Moteeram, and Khan on $600,000 bail each with the condition that they report to Assistant Superintendent Caesar every other Monday until the hearing and determination of the trial.

However, the Magistrate remanded Tappin to prison.

The case was adjourned until June 21.