Couva attorney charged with 10 fraud offences

A 38-year-old attorney appeared before a master in the High Court on October 16, charged with ten counts of fraud, five relating to valuation reports and five to Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) invoices.

Shalini Dhanipersad appeared virtually before master Kaleisha Ambrose Persadsingh in the South Masters Court.

Dhanipersad was granted $250,000 bail with a surety and is expected to return to court for a status hearing on November 13.

The offences are contrary to Section 9 (I) of the Forgery Act, Chapter 11:13.

Dhanipersad, of Mc Bean Village, Couva, was charged with ten counts of uttering forged documents at the Stamp Duty Section of the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR), at Government Campus Plaza, Ajax Street in Port of Spain.

The charges stem from incidents on January 27, 2023, when the accused allegedly submitted five forged valuation reports and five forged WASA invoices in support of a property transaction.

She is alleged to have knowingly uttered forged valuation reports, purportedly prepared by two chartered valuation surveyors and a property consultant.

The reports concerned properties at Calcutta Road #3 in Mc Bean Village and in Endeavour, Chaguanas.

It is further alleged that the dates on the documents were altered.

Dhanipersad also allegedly submitted forged WASA invoices, including one dated October 5, 2022, which falsely indicated an outstanding balance of $108.

Investigations revealed that the actual invoice, issued on December 5, 2021, showed a balance of $9,857.50.

The documents were used to support draft deeds of conveyance involving lands in both Couva and Chaguanas.

Adesh Ramdeo, a Criminal Tax Investigator at the Board of Inland Revenue’s Criminal Tax Investigation Unit, laid the charges.

The State was represented by Cpl Mohess, while defence attorney Taradath Singh appeared for the accused.