MOCA rep says millions found in accused’s bedroom
Published:Tuesday | July 9, 2019 | 12:18 AMTamara Bailey/Gleaner Writer
Mandeville, Manchester:
A deputy superintendent of police assigned to the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has revealed that more than $2 million was found in the house of one of the accused as the multimillion-dollar Manchester Municipal Corporation fraud trial continued yesterday.
Testifying in the Manchester Parish Court, the cop said that when the house of former deputy superintendent of roads and works at the local authority, Sanja Elliott, was raided in 2016, a little over J$1.5 million and US$5,021 was found and seized by the Financial Investigations Division (FID), whose representatives were part of the operation.
It was later revealed that during a search of the home office, a money counter, similar to that which is used at financial institutions, was found.
Additionally, documents identified as receipts for properties, motor vehicle titles, invoices, cheque stubs and other paperwork related to the then named Manchester Parish Council were found.
During the testimony, the defence counsel made several objections to the revelations, saying some questions were irrelevant to the case, to which the prosecution objected.
As the officer continued her testimony, she recalled the names on several cheques said to have been found at Elliott’s house.
The names matched some of the payees who have already been called as witnesses and co-accused Dwayne Sibbles, who was employed as Elliott’s caretaker.
She also made mention of finding receipts of $500,000 each made in August, September and October of 2011 and two from February 2012.
The trial resumed yesterday from a one-week break and will continue for the rest of the week.
More than 30 witnesses have not yet testified.
Charged along with Elliott and Sibbles are Elliott’s wife, Tasha-Gaye Goulbourne Elliott; his mother, Myrtle Elliott; his father, Edwardo Elliott; temporary works overseer at the corporation, Kendale Roberts; former acting secretary-manager and director of finance, David Harris; and former bank employee Radcliffe McLean.
All eight have denied wrongdoing,