Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence took the witness stand at the Magistrates’ Court this morning in a fraud case against a man who allegedly impersonated her and defrauded persons of millions of dollars.

The man, Mohammed Ali, is accused of calling a business owner while impersonating the Public Health Minister and getting the person to transfer $2.1 million in mobile credit to his phone.

At Court today, the real Minister Laurence stood on the stand and explained that persons should be much more careful with scam artists. She said it is clear that the accused targeted the small business owner and was able to take advantage of the person using her name.

“I trust that all persons out there would recognize that all this is all a scam, using my name, using my position as Minister of Public Health to take their monies from them …please should anyone call you or text you or send you a Facebook message asking you to send money to myself or any other Minister, please do not do so, the Ministers do not handle finances”, she said.

Minister Lawrence the problem appears to be getting worse and she will do all in her power to ensure it is addressed by the authorities.

The accused Mohamed Ali is an inmate of the Camp Street Prison who is currently serving a sentence for a 2-year sentence for scamming persons while pretending to be the First Lady.

In addition, he is also serving an eight-year jail sentence in another fraud case.

The scam calls which impersonated the First Lady and the Health Minister were made from behind bars, while the man was serving the original sentence for fraud.

The current matter is ongoing in the Court.

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