Friday, 04 April 2008
A St. Catherine based Justice of the Peace has been charged after he signed documents which allowed a woman to acquire hurricane relief cheques by fraudulent means.
Charged with negligence is Howard Charvis a former Jamaica Labour Party Councillor for the Homestead division in St. Catherine.
He is to appear in the St. Catherine Resident Magistrate's Court next Tuesday.
Mr. Charvis was charged on the instruction of senior resident magistrate for St. Catherine Lorna Errar after Mr Charvis and the woman appeared before the magistrate on Tuesday.
The drama unfolded after Claudia Mitchell, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery and two counts of uttering documents and two counts of obtaining money by forged document.
It is reported that Miss Mitchell went to Mr. Charvis twice in January with documents in fictitious names for him to sign, approving the release of hurricane relief cheques.
Mr. Charvis reportedly signed the document without verifying the names, enabling Miss Mitchell to obtain relief cheques amounting to $40,000.
The judge chided Mr. Charvis for not being more vigilant in his duties as a Justice of the Peace.
She then instructed that he be charged with negligence.
Claudia Mitchell was remanded and is to be sentenced in another three weeks.
A social enquiry has been ordered to assess Miss Mitchell's background
A St. Catherine based Justice of the Peace has been charged after he signed documents which allowed a woman to acquire hurricane relief cheques by fraudulent means.
Charged with negligence is Howard Charvis a former Jamaica Labour Party Councillor for the Homestead division in St. Catherine.
He is to appear in the St. Catherine Resident Magistrate's Court next Tuesday.
Mr. Charvis was charged on the instruction of senior resident magistrate for St. Catherine Lorna Errar after Mr Charvis and the woman appeared before the magistrate on Tuesday.
The drama unfolded after Claudia Mitchell, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery and two counts of uttering documents and two counts of obtaining money by forged document.
It is reported that Miss Mitchell went to Mr. Charvis twice in January with documents in fictitious names for him to sign, approving the release of hurricane relief cheques.
Mr. Charvis reportedly signed the document without verifying the names, enabling Miss Mitchell to obtain relief cheques amounting to $40,000.
The judge chided Mr. Charvis for not being more vigilant in his duties as a Justice of the Peace.
She then instructed that he be charged with negligence.
Claudia Mitchell was remanded and is to be sentenced in another three weeks.
A social enquiry has been ordered to assess Miss Mitchell's background
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