A taxi driver accused of defrauding three men of more than $0.5 million by promising to get them visas and medical certificates was yesterday remanded to prison.
Omari Kendall of 129 Friendship, East Bank Demerara was unrepresented when he made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. He faced three counts of fraud and denied them all when they were read to him.
The first charge alleged that on November 11, 2013, he obtained $220,000 from Andre McPherson by falsely pretending
that he was in the position to provide a visa and a medical certificate for McPherson to work on a cruise ship, despite knowing said information to be false.
The second and third charges accused him of obtaining $150,000 from Trevor Dazzell and $140,000 from Chad Paul on the same date in question and making the same false promise.
Prosecutor Michael Grant said that the facts in all the matters were as charged.
In a bail objection, Grant cited the nature of the offence and said that the defendant had pending matters of a similar nature. According to the prosecutor, Kendall was out on bail when he allegedly committed the three current crimes.
However, Kendall denied any pending matters but admitted that he had been charged before. The matter, he said, had been dismissed. Later, Prosecutor Grant confirmed that the matter had indeed been dismissed.
Kendall was remanded to prison until July 30.
