Georgetown: Registrar of the Deeds Registry, Azeena Baksh was charged with obtaining money by false pretense Tuesday when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. She was granted bail in the sum of GYD$250,000. Baksh will return to court on June 6.
Police instituted the charge on Monday on Baksh on allegations that she unlawfully paid herself gratuity amounting to $4.5M when she was not a contracted employee. Baksh has also been accused of waiving outstanding fees due to the registries in the sum of over $7M. Police are still investigating this matter.
Defense Counsel, Nigel Hughes in his bail application had requested that his client be released on self bail because she is in her final trimester of pregnancy and was ordered to take bed rest. Hughes said his client was cooperating with investigations at all times.
On the other hand, Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore requested bail in a substantial amount under the condition that she lodges her passport and reports to the Fraud Department of the Criminal Investigations Department every Friday at 9 AM.
Back in April the Ministry of Legal Affairs had said that staff of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) had called upon it to investigate complaints of alleged financial improprieties committed by Baksh.
Baksh was appointed Acting Registrar of Deeds from July 16, 2012 with a stipulated salary of $326,171 monthly and was entitled to duty, entertainment and house allowances as well as subsistence allowance when working out-of-district, duty-free concessions every three years, leave passage allowance and 42 days annual vacation leave. Additionally, she was entitled to security at her residence, paid residential and mobile phone charges and monthly internet service charges. There was no mention by the JSC of a bi-annual gratuity as she was employed on the fixed establishment. In May 2014, the Deeds Registry was merged with the Commercial Registry pursuant to the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act No. 4/ 2013.
By virtue of this legislation, all positions were made contractual except that of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar of Deeds, whose tenure remained unchanged pursuant to Article 199 of the Constitution and the aforementioned legislation. Evidence provided shows that Baksh instructed and signed off on the payment of gratuity to herself and other members of staff who were entitled for the period May 2014 to November 2016. Additionally, it was discovered that Baksh had also paid herself $400,000 monthly as of May 2014, despite the fact that her salary should have been $359, 604 by virtue of the public service increases.
However, through her attorney Nigel Hughes, Baksh had denied the charge,stating that on February 13, 2013, Cabinet decided that all staff of the Registry who opted to transfer to the Deeds and Commercial Registry would be paid severance and would be offered contract gratuity appointments. “Pursuant to the issuance of the Cabinet memo, the staff of the Deeds and Commercial Registry were written to by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal Affairs on the 19th May, 2014, providing them with two options, either refuse the offer of employment with the Deeds and Commercial Registry and be transferred to another Government Ministry or Department, or accept employment with the deeds and Commercial Registry and receive severance under the termination and severance Act.” Hughes pointed out that his client accepted the offer of employment with the Deeds and Commercial Registry and was paid severance in keeping with the offer of the permanent secretary. He said the payment of salaries is prepared by the Human Resources Department and submitted to the finance department for disbursement. “Ms Baksh does not have the authority to direct the Human Resource Department or the Finance Department, to make any payment of salaries; these departments report to the governing board of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority; nor has she ever authorised the Human Resource Department to place any member of the Deeds and Commercial Registry on the payroll.
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