On March 17th, a woman told police that from June 2015 to August 2017, $1.6 million was paid to a man for a two-storey house in Mason Hall.

The victim says she was subsequently informed that the property was mortgaged to a credit union, and that attempts to secure a refund were unsuccessful.

Following an investigation by the Tobago Fraud Squad, officers arrested Avril Davis, a farmer, businessman and sanitation worker from Mason Hall.

On Wednesday he pleaded not guilty to a charge of obtaining $1.6 million by false pretence and was granted $120,000 bail.

He has also been prohibited from leaving the country and must report to his local police once per week until the next scheduled hearing on February 7th 2024.