PNP Municipal Council Fraudsters Found Guilty

May 16, 2020 | By Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

Judge Ann Marie Granger, Parish Court in Manchester, Central Jamaica found 5 of 7 persons who were charged with allegedly defrauding the Manchester Municipal Council guilty as charged.

Goulbourne Elliott, father of alleged Mastermind found not guilty.

Myrtle Elliott mother of mastermind was acquitted.

Convicted were: Sanjay Elliott,
Natasha Elliott his wife,
Dwayne Sibbles, David Harris, and Kendale Roberts all former top level employees of the Council.

Radcliffe McLean, BNS bank clerk was found not guilty and acquitted.

Between 2013 and 2014 they defrauded the Council in an elaborate scheme of some JA$400 million. Expensive homes and lavish lifestyle was enjoyed by the fraudsters. Mainly Sanjay Elliott labeled as the mastermind of the fraud scheme.

Methodology

Cheques were drawn to their friends who testified in court under cross-examination that they did no work for these payments received. The Parish Judge said she found these witnesses credible. The accused testified under oath that they received “cash for no work done”. They all admitted that they did no work, but were asked by Sanjay Elliott to submit their TRN. Cheques were then drawn which they were asked to sign the back of. There was evidence that at least one of these fake contractors got $7000 for collecting cash at least on one of these cheques. These cheques were taken to the local Bank Of Nova Scotia and encashed. The Municipal Council banked there.

Sentence

The five convicted were found guilty of conspiracy, corruption and other offences. They will be sentenced in July 2020.

Peter Bunting

Central Manchester MP Peter Bunting is the MP for the area and the Council is one of the few on the Island controlled by the PNP.

This was one of if not the longest fraud case in Jamaica. Fire of unknown origin gutted the Courthouse, but this did not derail Justice.