A man, who admitted to obtaining a quantity of money from three persons under the pretext that he would give them supervisory and cashier positions at a business he was purportedly opening, was ordered to pay a fine of $25,000 or spend three months in prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Troy Webster entered a guilty plea to three charges of obtaining money by false pretence when Magistrate Priya Beharry read them to him.

He admitted that between June 1 and 3, with intent to defraud, he obtained $3,000 from Melissa Skeete under the pretext that he would offer her a supervisory position at a business he was opening, when he knew this to be false.

He also obtained $5,000 from Henry John on May 24 under the same pretext.
Webster also admitted that on June 5, with intent to defraud, he obtained $10,000 from Kalita Lewis under the pretext that he was in a position to offer her a job as a cashier at a business he was opening, when he knew this to be false.

When asked why he committed such acts, Webster told the magistrate, “ah din intending fuh defraud nobody” but because of his current ill health, “plus ah living in a rented house wid me wife [and] ah had to geh some money so ah tek dah route foh get it. But ah promise ah gon change meh life after this.”

The magistrate then informed him that there are organisations in Guyana that he could have gone to for help instead of tricking persons who are willing to work.