Police constable among 4 charged with fraud

A police constable is among four people charged with land fraud by the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB).

Those charged were PC Curtis Pierre, 50, Sandy Dhanasser-Pierre, 38, Germaine Cassandra-Pierre, 48, and Chez Brathwaite, 46.

They were charged with possession of forged documents, fraudulently causing the acceptance of a valuable security and conspiracy to defraud.

A police media release said, "In July, personnel attached to the Land Management Division of the Commissioner of State Lands office discovered three fraudulent standard agricultural leases for 90 acres of state land leased to three persons."

The leases were fraudulently registered at the Registrar General's office on October 12. The release said several signatures, including that of the acting Commissioner of State Lands and an attorney attached to the Chief State Solicitor's office, were found to be forged.

Investigations between July and October led to the homes of the four being searched. Certified copies of the forged leases and $146,200 were allegedly seized.

Cassandra-Pierre and Dhanasser-Pierre were granted bail of $150,000 and ordered to appear in court before an Arima magistrate on November 3. Pierre and Brathwaite were scheduled to appear in court before a Port of Spain magistrate on Wednesday
.