Almost three years after facing a fraud charge for obtaining $4.5 million under false pretense, the former Registrar of Deeds, Azeena Baksh was today found guilty.

However, she will serve no jail time. Instead, she has been ordered to repay the $4.5 million to the state of Guyana. She has to pay at least $1 million before the end of today and has three months to pay off the remaining amount.

The case was heard by Magistrate Lerone Daly.

The Court found that Ms. Baksh unlawfully paid herself gratuity in the sum of $4.5 million, knowing that she was not a contracted employee at the Deeds and Commercial Registry and therefore was not entitled to gratuity, since she was on the pension plan.

The Court heard that the money was paid between May 2014 and January 2017.

The evidence revealed that Baksh while being employed as a Judicial Service Commission appointee, placed the $4.5 million into her Scotia bank account from the Finance Ministry while pretending to be a Deeds and Commercial Registry contractual employee.

It was back in April 2017, the discovery was made by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and a probe was launched.

That probe led to the criminal charge being filed.

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