$4m bail for couple accused of $7.4m payroll fraud

A couple on 963 charges arising out of an alleged $7.4 million payroll scam, have been granted a total of $4 million in bail.

Taxi driver Brahim Rampersad, 41, and his wife Amrita, 31, of Gopaul Street, Gasparillo, reappeared before senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor in the San Fernando magistrates' court on Wednesday. Also charged is Carl Lee, 43, a taxi driver of Bonne Aventure Road, Gasparillo. He is facing only 36 charges.

The Rampersads are accused of fraudulent conversion of cheques made payable by Caribbean Crewing and Manning Services, of Point Lisas, between 2013 and 2016. Amrita worked at the company.

They first appeared on Monday when Connor read the charges in a hearing which ended at 10 pm. They were remanded into custody to reappear on Wednesday.

Prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan objected to bail based on the number of charges and the volume of money involved. He said 558 charges were for offences committed in the Couva magisterial district while 405 were in San Fernando. He asked the magistrate to keep all the cases in the San Fernando court and she agreed.

Rampersad is charged with 159 counts of larceny and 21 counts of money laundering. He and Amrita are jointly charged with 63 counts of larceny. Amrita is facing 504 charges of falsification of accounts and 137 counts of larceny as well as 43 counts of money laundering.

Attorney Renuka Rambhajan, instructed by Lana Lakhan, pleaded for bail for the Rampersads. She said their passports were seized by police and they did not have the money to enable them to travel abroad. The attorney told the court that her clients have two children.

Connor granted them $2 million bail each but refused to grant the option of a cash alternative.

Attorney Akin Cobbler who represented Lee, also pleaded for bail. Connor granted him $300,000 bail.

All three have been ordered to report to the police on Mondays and Fridays and are expected to return to court on March 4.