BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE four employees of the Police Cooperative Credit Union (PCCU) and the Deputy Labour Commissioner, who were together slapped with 37 charges following an investigation into suspected fraudulent payments made from the Severance Payment Fund, had acquired their pre-trial liberty on Monday (Oct. 5).
According to a police press release, the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Deon Webb of New Road and the four PCCU employees - Mario Wigley of Cayon, Hyacinth Phipps of Garden’s Housing, Chanita Richards of Parray’s Extension and Tisharie Fyfield of Gillard’s Meadows – were each bailed in the sum of $60,000 with two sureties.
The conditions under which they were bailed are as follow: they are to surrender all travel documents; they are to report to the police station twice per week (Mondays and Fridays; they are to have no contact with the employees of the PCCU in relation to these matters, but are allowed to conduct business; and they are to return to court on Monday, December 7, 2020.
Wigley was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Transactions, one count of Obtaining Money by False Pretence, three counts of Uttering of Forged Documents, three counts of Forgery, and four counts of Demanding Money on Forged Documents.
Phipps was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Transactions, one count of Obtaining Money by False Pretence, and one count of Demanding Money on Forged Documents.
Richards was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Transactions, one count of Obtaining Money by False Pretence, and one count of Demanding Money on Forged Documents.
Fyfield was charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Money Laundering by Possession, one count of Obtaining Money by False Pretence, and one count of Obtaining Money on Forged Documents
Webb was charged for one count of Misconduct in Public Office, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by Possession, three counts of Uttering of Forged Documents, and four counts of Causing Money to be Paid on Forged Documents.
Police stated that on Monday, July 27, 2020, the National Audit Office had requested an investigation into suspected fraudulent payments made from the Severance Payment Fund during May and June 2020 to four employees of the PCCU.
The investigation was conducted by the White Collar Crime Unit and, based on its findings, charges were proffered against the four employees of the PCCU and the Deputy Labour Commissioner.
The total amount of money involved in the matter amounts to EC$1,182,144.38 which belongs to the Government of the St. Kitts and Nevis.
