(Trinidad Express) A man who allegedly used his seven month-old son to swindle TT$5,000 from the San Fernando Rotary Club, appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with extortion.
Daniel Jagdeo, 37, of Riverside Drive, Lady Hailes Avenue, San Fernando pleaded not guilty to attempting to defraud the club last Thursday.
It is alleged that on that day, Jagdeo, with the intent to defraud money from the San Fernando Rotary Club, obtained a signed cheque for the sum of TT$5,000 from Republic Bank by falsely pretending that his seven-month-old son had lung cancer and an enlarged heart.
He also claimed to have raised TT$4,080 to take the child to a Manhattan Children’s Hospital in New York, USA, to undergo surgery.
Jagdeo’s attorney Genna Samaroo told Magistrate Alicia Chankar that the charge was “quite serious”.
Samaroo said Jagdeo works for a contractor in Freeport and is an avid church member.
Court prosecutor Russell Ramoutar objected to bail saying, “He does not live or work at that address at all. His wife lives there, not him.”
Jagdeo was granted bail with a surety for TT$100,000 and ordered to reappear on April 2.
