Former TDC Airline employee fined EC$5 000 for Embezzlement
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter-SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Right~~ CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – A former employee of the TDC Airline Services was Tuesday fined EC$5 000 for embezzling funds paid to her by two customers.
Appearing before Her Worship Yasmine Clarke at the District “C” Magistrate’s Court, Renesha Hobson was admonished for the act but was spared a jail term.
Magistrate Clarke said she gave Hobson a chance to reform her life out of prison because she is a young woman and she also has a child. Hobson will have to pay two separate fines of EC$2 500 each within a six-month period for two counts of fraud.
Her Worship said if she does not pay the fines within the specified period, her conviction would be recorded.
According to the prosecution, on February 7, 2008, Hobson, a former Reservation Clerk with TDC Airline Services, accepted payments amounting to EC$2,256.00 in cash from Nigel Simmonds who was travelling to London on Excel. He flew out of the Federation on March 7, 2008 and returned on April 21, 2008.
On February 15, 2008, Hobson accepted EC$2,256.00 cash, paid to her by Powell Mathews who was travelling on Excel to London. He travelled to his intended destination and returned on April 12.
Hobson, according to the Prosecutor, claimed the money was paid by credit card. Her Supervisor, Linda Claxton, informed Ernie France, General Manager TDC Nevis, that there was absence of two payments of Excel tickets and she established that no transaction was made by credit card, which resulted in Hobson being suspended.
The matter was investigated by Inspector Andre’ Mitchell, who found that Hobson had received payment and converted it to her own use. She was arrested and charged with two counts of embezzling funds.
When asked to state her plea, Hobson informed the court that she would have waited until advised by her lawyer, Dr. Henry Browne, who was not in court at the time. However, on his arrival, the question was repeated and she pleaded guilty.
In his submission, Dr. Browne said, “This is a rather sad case. She has a young child. She is a young lady. The two charges could have been consolidated to one charge. My instructions are that due to dire need and lack of assistance from her child’s father, she thought it would not be a bad idea to take the cash and return it on a later day. On the succeeding day, she informed Linda that she took the money and asked if she could pay by installments. When she was conscious of her sin, she made arrangements with her bank to get a loan of EC$4 400.
“She was extremely remorse to the extent that she tendered her resignation. I have had long discussions with the police. My view is that you give the lady an opportunity in life. She is young, she has a child; for her to take money and think she can pay back shows immaturity.”
Dr. Browne also said Hobson had already been employed at the Call Centre and he pleaded with the Magistrate not to record the criminal offence.
