Two persons were arrested and charged by officers of the Fraud Squad over the past 72 hours for various offences.

Randell Dillion Sahadeo, an Accounts Clerk at the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT), was granted bail in the sum of $300,000.00, on Thursday 12th, October, 2023.

He will next appear before the Port of Spain Magistrate’s Court on 31st October, 2023.

Cpl Solozano of the Fraud Squad charged Sahadeo on 12th October, 2023, with one count of larceny and twelve counts of money laundering.

The charges stem from a report of several returned cheques totalling $385,295.32, made out to a company owned by Sahadeo, with whom the LATT had no business dealings, and without the authority of the LATT. The discrepancies were detected during a reconciliation exercise at the LATT and a report was made to the Fraud Squad.

Sahadeo was arrested on 10th, October, 2023, following investigations by Cpl Solozana, after consultations with ASP Samuel and Sgt Bassarath. In a separate matter, Neil Looknanan, a Prisons Officer with 27 years of service, was granted bail in the sum of $100,000.00, and is scheduled to appear at the Port of Spain Magistrate’s Court on 23rd, November, 2023.

W/Sgt. Bailey-Roberts charged Looknanan on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions, after investigations into the submission of a fraudulent academic certificate in support of an application made for a promotion to the rank of Prisons Supervisor.

The certificate for a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering purportedly from the University of the West Indies was later found to be fraudulent. Subsequently, a report was made to the Fraud Squad, and an investigation was conducted.

In another incident, Devon Foster was denied bail when he appeared before the San Fernando Magistrate’s 1st Court on Friday 13th October. He will next appear on 16th October, 2023. Foster was charged with three counts of Larceny by Trick by PC Jammet of the Fraud Squad, on the advice of Superintendent Ruben and Sgt. Bassarath on 12th, October, 2023.

The charges arise from reports of victims who allegedly paid sums of money totally $91,000.00 to have their application for state housing at the Housing Development Cooperation fast-tracked. A report was made to Fraud Squad and the matter was investigated.

Devon Foster was then arrested on the 12th October, 2023 by officers of the Fraud Squad during a joint exercise with the San Fernando Gang Unit. ACP Lucas, Head of the White-collar Crime Division, commented on the arrests, stating, “The White-Collar Crime Division has taken a zero tolerance to fraud offenders and will be unrelenting in their efforts to prosecute them”. ACP Lucas also praised the continued good work being done by Senior Superintendent Groome and his team at the Fraud Squad.