Thu | Mar 28, 2024

Defence still awaiting video footage in Sagicor fraud matter

Published:Friday | April 28, 2023 | 12:28 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter

The defence team for former Sagicor executive Alysia Moulton White is still awaiting the video footage to determine who had deposited funds totalling $661,000 into her account as they seek to prove that she was not involved in a suspected $65-million racket uncovered at the bank’s Liguanea branch last October.

Moulton White, the former vice-president of group marketing at Sagicor; her sister Tricia Moulton, the bank’s former Liguanea branch manager; Malika McLeod, a personal banker; and Tishan Samuels, a client care officer, are facing fraud charges in the matter.

The funds were allegedly swindled from clients’ accounts.

Investigators attached to the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch have alleged that over the period August to October 2022, the women conspired and defrauded the US foreign currency accounts of about six Sagicor customers.

Among the charges are conspiracy to defraud, larceny as a servant, breaches of the Cybercrimes Act, and making unauthorised withdrawals from customers’ accounts.

When the matter was called up in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday, attorney-at-law Matthew Hyatt enquired about the footage of the deposit captured on September 21 and 30 of last and was informed by a representative from the bank that one has been located.

Hyatt previously told the court that he had written to the Fraud Squad to access the footage, but was directed to seek the court’s permission.

The judge, in the meantime, has ordered the prosecution to make disclosure to the defence team by May 25.

A September 21 mention date was also scheduled, as the court was informed that the case file is still incomplete.

A date for a plea and case management hearing is expected to be scheduled when the matter returns to court.

The accused’s bail was subsequently extended.

Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels and his daughter Bianca are also representing Moulton White.

Attorney-at-law Orville Morgan appeared for Tricia Moulton, while attorney-at-law Rita Allen-Brown is representing Samuels.

Peter Champagnie, KC, is representing McLeod.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com