Lawyer blames fraud charges on break-up

A Kitty man was last week arraigned on multiple charges of fraudulent conversion, which his attorney claimed was the result of a break-up with his accuser.

Wickham Sancho, of 215 David Street, Kitty, denied the five charges of fraudulent conversion read against him at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1 last Thursday. Sancho, a painter, is being accused of fraudulently converting $605,000 to his own use and benefit, after the money was solely entrusted to him by Onesha Manns, between April 1 and April 30, 2014, at Pike Street, Kitty, to purchase five flat-screen televisions.

It is also alleged that between May 1 and August 30, 2014, at Pike Street, Sancho fraudulently converted $180,000, which was given to him by the complainant, to purchase a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or an iPhone.

The police also said that between October 23, 2014 and November 30, 2014, Sancho fraudulently converted $400,000, which was given to him by Manns to purchase five flat-screen televisions.

In addition, Sancho was charged with fraudulently converting $232,000 he obtained from Manns to buy four flat-screen televisions and three air-conditioning units.

He was also charged with fraudulently converting $120,000, which he received to purchase and unlock three Nokia cellphones.

But attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, who represented Sancho, told the court that the couple once shared a one-year relationship and the complainant made the allegations against him after the union was severed. In addition, counsel disputed the charges, while arguing that the complainant’s job does not afford her the amounts mentioned in the charge since she is just an employee of an internet café.

Prosecutor Bharat Mangru did not object to bail but he requested that conditions be attached to bail if granted.

Bail was then set at $250,000 with the condition that Sancho report to the officer-in-charge of the Kitty Police Station every Friday at 8AM.

The matter was adjourned to April 24, for the filing of statements.