Update | Petrojam fraud trial on six-month break
Published:Saturday | May 28, 2022 | 12:56 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
The fraud trial involving two former Petrojam executives was yesterday adjourned and will resume on November 21 for three weeks in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.
Dr Perceval Singh, the state refinery's former chairman, and former General Manager Floyd Grindley are being tried on several fraud-related charges stemming from allegations that Singh had submitted claims amounting to US$73,620 between December 2016 and May 2018 for overseas travel he did not make.
It is alleged that he submitted claims for travels to Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, and Germany.
Grindley is alleged to have aided and abetted the ex-chairman in the process used to make the claims.
The matter is being tried in blocks of time based on the availability of both the defence lawyers and the prosecutor, Caroline Hay, QC, who is trying the case on a fiat from the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions.
Two overseas witnesses, a special agent from Brazil and a Canadian hotel worker, were expected to testify by video link, but the defence and prosecution decided to agree the statements, meaning they were accepted as admitted evidence without the witnesses appearing to testify.
In his statement, the Brazilian witness gave evidence that Singh did not land in Brazil during the period for which the claim was made that he had visited there in his capacity as chairman, while the Canadian witness had given evidence that the former chairman had not checked into a hotel where she worked, although reservations had been made.
In respect to the alleged United Kingdom claim, the court previously heard from a Petrojam manager, who had been part of a delegation to a 2018 conference to London, that hotel reservation had been made for Singh, but he did not show up.
However, the court further heard by way of Singh's attorney-at-law, Bert Samuels, that his client had put off the trip due to an emergency meeting with the energy ministry. The court also heard that the former chairman had been scheduled to go to the London event, but had to call it off to attend the same meeting.
Initially, Grindley was facing eight counts of aiding and abetting, obtaining money by means of false pretence, while Singh was to answer to 12 charges related to the US$73,620 that he allegedly improperly obtained as chairman of the oil refinery.
However, they were later slapped with new charges including fraudulent conversion, aiding and abetting fraudulent conversion, conspiracy to defraud, and one count of obtaining money by false presence.
Both men had their bail extended to return to court in November.
EDITOR'S NOTE: On the 28th of May 2022 we published an article headlined “Petrojam trial on six-month break” in which, in reference to Dr. Singh we stated, “Both men were axed in 2018 as a multimillion-dollar corruption scandal alleging irregularities, nepotism, and cronyism engulfed Petrojam.” The Gleaner understands that Dr. Singh was not axed from his job. Dr. Singh’s lawyers Knight Junor and Samuels have advised that Dr. Singh tendered his resignation in order to comply with executive order #13808 by then President Donald Trump, which prevented persons/entities from having any business dealings with Venezuela. We apologise to Dr. Singh.