Couple, friend charged with $7.4m payroll fraud

A couple from Marabella and a close friend appeared before a San Fernando magistrate on Monday for 963 fraud charges to be read to them.

The charges arose after $7.4 million was allegedly stolen from Caribbean Crewing and Manning Services, of Point Lisas, between 2013 and 2016.

Appearing before senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor were Brahim Rampersad, 41, and his wife Amrita, 37, of Gopaul Lands, Marabella. The other accused is Carl E Lee.

The charges against Amrita, alleged that she, while working as a clerk or servant of Caribbean Crewing, stole money knowing she was not entitled to it. Her husband, who worked at RBC, Marabella, was charged with stealing money knowing it to be the proceeds of crime.

Some of the other charges involved falsification of accounts at the company.

Connor began reading the 963 charges shortly after 3 pm while the couple and Lee sat in the dock.

The Rampersads and Lee were escorted to the San Fernando police station where they were kept.

Early Monday morning, court clerks began the process of booking the charges and by 1 pm, about 350 were completed. The couple and Lee were then taken to the holding bay cells of the magistrates' court and then before Connor.

Attorneys Renuka Rambhajan and Lana Lakhan are representing the Rampersads and Lee.

Up to 6 pm, the magistrate had completed reading 700 charges.

The charges were laid indictably and, as a result, the three accused were not called upon to plead.