A bail hearing has been set for July 13 for popular party promoter Andrew Wright, known mainly as ‘Andrew French’, who is among six persons charged relative to the $222 million fraud that was allegedly committed at the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS).
Wright, who was employed as the financial controller at the state-run agency at the time of the alleged fraud, was previously denied bail.
His co-accused – Rudolph Barnes, Oneil Hope, Jonnique Mills, Andrea Picton and Sherene Ferguson – were all offered bail at $500,000 in May of this year.
During court proceedings in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston last week, Wright’s attorney, Peter Champagnie, indicated to the presiding judge that he intends to make a fresh bail application for his client.
The July 13 date was then set for the application to be heard, and Wright was remanded until then.
A plea and case management hearing date was subsequently set for the matter on September 25.
The five other defendants had their bails extended until that time.
The six accused are said to have been part of a team of present and former employees of INSPORTS who allegedly wrote, signed and encashed fraudulent cheques for payees who were neither employees nor contracted workers of the agency.
The alleged fraudulent activities reportedly occurred between 2011 and 2017, the police said.
The suspected fraud and other irregularities were detected by INSPORTS in 2017 during an examination of the agency’s financial records.
The matter was then reported to the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), triggering an investigation.
The first set of accused charged relative to the case were Wright, Hope and Barnes. They were charged with various offences, including conspiracy to defraud, acquisition, use and possession of criminal property, engaging in transactions involving criminal property, and larceny as a servant.
MOCA subsequently arrested and charged Jonnique Mills and Andrea Picton, the latter then and an employee at INSPORTS, with conspiracy to defraud.
Mills is facing an additional charge of forgery.
The court was told in April that extradition warrants were being prepared for three other unidentified suspects who presently reside overseas.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Jamaica LoopNews – http://jamaica.loopnews.com/content/fresh-bail-hearing-popular-party-promoter-insports-fraud-rap-0