Woman denies US visa fraud charges

A 32-year-old woman yesterday pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and uttering a forged document when they were read to her by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on March 11 at Timehri, with intent to defraud, Faniza Shamsudin of 39 Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice uttered one Guyana passport with a false US visa knowing same to be forged. It is also alleged that between January 19 and March 11, the said Faniza Shamsudin conspired with another person or persons known  to forge a US visa.

Her lawyer made an application for bail to be granted in a reasonable amount on the grounds that his client posed no risk of flight and had been cooperating with the police in their investigations. The attorney also added that his client is “the sole breadwinner of her family and has two very sick parents to care for.”
The customer service representative was subsequently placed on bail in the sum of $95,000 on  each charge and her matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for March 27.