A woman accused of forging a will left by her now deceased brother appeared yesterday before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court to answer a charge of forgery.
The allegation is that on October 5, 2007 at George-town, with intent to defraud, Sharon Seymore forged a last will and testament made by Semion Sam, knowing same to be forged.
The woman was not required to plead to the indictable charge of forgery of a testamentary instrument when it was read to her by the magistrate.
The defendant’s attorney provided documents to the court showing that her client had been granted probate by the High Court which recognized the defendant as having power to administer the very estate in question.
The magistrate after listening to the argument advanced by the lawyer examined the documents before her and informed the court that indeed the defendant had been granted probate to administer the very estate.
“The very thing they charged the lady for, the High Court has granted her probate,” the magistrate exclaim-ed.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton noted that the poor investigation conducted by the police exposed their deficiency. In admonishing the police to conduct more thorough investigations, the magistrate told them to “seek advice again.”
“Go and come again, she is the woman to administer the said estate and she is standing before me, the two don’t reconcile,” the magistrate added.
The matter was then put down and recalled some minutes later and it was called to the bench.
When approached by this newspaper after the matter was heard by the presiding magistrate, the attorney said that the police were ordered by the magistrate to have the case returned to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for a further probe as the initial investigations were poorly done.
