– court told
A 54-year-old man who allegedly obtained $3 million by false pretence was remanded to prison when he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Littleton Caesar of Lot 22 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara pleaded not guilty to two charges of obtaining money by false pretence when they were read to him by Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle.
It is alleged that on May 24 last year Caesar falsely obtained $1.5 million from a woman by proposing to her that he was the owner of a plot of land at 87 D’Andrade Street, Newtown Kitty and that he was willing to sell it. Further, it is alleged that on May 30 last year, under the same circumstances, he was able to obtain $1.5 million from a man who also thought he was making a down payment for the same Newtown Kitty house lot.
According to Caesar’s attorney, Peter Hugh, his client has absolutely no knowledge of these matters. Further, he added that he doesn’t understand how two persons can hand over such large amounts of cash without having agreements of sale signed.
Hugh made an application for bail explaining to the court that Caesar’s brother had died recently and would be buried on Monday.
The prosecution objected to bail, saying there is an agreement of sale produced by the woman’s agent. The woman recently spotted the accused and pointed him out to the police, the prosecution explained.
Caesar, the prosecution said, used the name Sydney Sampson to conduct transactions with the woman and he even provided an authentic identification card saying that he was the said person.
Hugh replied to the prosecution’s statements by saying “this is documented hear-say.”
The woman said that the address Caesar provided to her and her agent led to the house of the real Sydney Sampson. Sampson is also the owner of the plot of land and Caesar may have gleaned the information he needed to pull off the scam when he had served time in the same prison. Payment, the woman said, was made to Caesar in cash and a manager’s cheque in the name of Sydney Sampson.
The accused was refused bail and the matter will continue on July 11 in Court Five.
