Lawyer says fraud case weak against former hotelier

Attorney-at-law Peter Champagnie has told the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court that there is no likelihood former hotelier Dimitri Kosvogiannis will be convicted for breaches of the Larceny and Revenue acts.

Champagnie was making his submission on Thursday on behalf of the former hotelier as he made his first court appearance.

Kosvogiannis was arrested two Mondays ago on his return to the Norman Manley International Airport.

Attorney-at-law Christopher Townsend is also apart of Kosvogiannis' legal team.

According to Champagnie, the charges were initiated because Kosvogiannis had documents with his surname being spelt with the letter 'C ' in one instance and another with the name spelt with the letter 'K'. 

This, Champagnie said, arose under innocent circumstances as the letter 'C' is not recognised in Kovogiannis' native Greek alphabet like the letter 'K'. 

The attorney said the issue started when Kosvogiannis obtained an American passport as a minor and the authorities spelt and entered his surname with the letter 'C'. 

Upon taking Jamaican citizenship, his Greek birth certificate was produced which showed the spelling with 'K' and thereafter, all other documents issued reflected his name with the letter 'K'. 

Champagnie said before taking up Jamaican citizenship, Kosvogiannis was issued a TRN card with his surname spelt with 'C' and after he was granted citizenship, another with the surname beginning with letter 'K' .

Kosvogiannis is charged with having two TRN cards in different names.

The only difference is the spelling of his surname with 'C' on one card and 'K' on the other.

Champagnie generated much laughter in the court when he declared that this case could properly be labelled as the "alphabet case of the century".

According to him, the police did not seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions before charging Kosvogiannis.

Kosvogiannis who is on bail is to return to court on September 25.

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