A woman was yesterday charged with fleecing a security guard of almost $1M by promising her that she could heal her sickness by performing spiritual work.
Jacqueline Porter, 58, was placed on $125,000 bail, after she denied the charge of fraud when it was read to her by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The allegation against Porter, who is also said to be a security guard, is that between September 1, 2010 and July 24, 2012, at Georgetown, she fraudulently obtained from Eileen Croft the sum of $959,000 by pretending that she could heal her sickness by performing spiritual work, knowing the claim to be false.
When asked by the court if the “facts were as charged,” the prosecution responded in the affirmative, after which no further details of what transpired on the day in question were presented to the court.
The prosecution had no objections to the accused being released on bail and the magistrate had initially set it in the sum of $250,000.
The unrepresented Porter, however, told the magistrate that she could not afford the sum granted. The magistrate then asked the woman what sum she had in mind. After some time, she calmly responded “$60,000.”
The Chief Magistrate, however, noted the amount alleged to have been fraudulently obtained and added that if the court were to set bail at Porter’s proposed figure, it would be making a “mockery” of the entire process.
Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry said that the allegation levelled against the accused is a serious one and that bail should reflect the quantum of that mentioned in the charge, to which the prosecution agreed.
After bail was set the case was transferred to Court Three for August 22.
