Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, 23:26 by Written By Denis Chabrol
A former policeman and a court a magistrates’ court legal clerk have been charged with several financial crimes linked to the forging and encashment of a GY$17 million dollar cheque and they were granted a total of GY$900,000 bail, the Guyana Police Force’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) said Tuesday.
The cheque purportedly represented payment for rehabilitation works allegedly carried out at the Diamond/Golden Grove magistrates’ court, East Bank Demerara
Twenty-seven year old Omari James of Lot 1562, Farm Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was charged with money laundering and uttering a forged document with intent to defraud. Rocquel Charter, a Legal Clerk II attached to the Diamond/Golden Grove magistrates’ court was charged with forgery of a negotiable instrument and forgery of a document with intent to defraud.
“SOCU remains committed to the investigation and prosecution of money laundering, fraud and other financial crimes, and to ensuring that those responsible for financial crimes are brought before the courts in accordance with the law,” that financial crimes agency said in a statement.
SOCU accused Mr James of visiting Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited’s Camp street branch on August 20, 2025 where he presented the GY$17 million cheque to be drawn on the maintenance account of the Diamond/Golden Grove magistrates’ court. Police said James, now a labourer, received the GY$17 million in cash. He was also accused of presenting an official letter purportedly issued and signed by the clerk of court.
Investigations subsequently revealed that the letter and signature appearing on the cheque were allegedly forged. 
Police said James on Monday, October 26, 2026 pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were read to him by Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore. SOCU said the prosecution objected to bail, citing the serious nature of the offences, the substantial sum involved, and the penalties prescribed by law. Despite the prosecution’s objections, SOCU said Mr James was granted GY$400,000 bail for both charges. The matter was adjourned to November 16, 2026, for disclosure of the prosecution’s evidence.
SOCU alleged that between August 18 and 20, 2025, Ms Charter forged a Bank of Guyana cheque for GY$17 million drawn on her court’s maintenance account and made payable to Omari James, by falsely signing the signature of the Clerk of Court, an authorised signatory to the account. Charter is also accused of forging a letter purportedly issued and signed by the Clerk of Court, falsely authorising the payment of GY$17 million to James for rehabilitation works allegedly carried out at the Court, police said.
She on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at Court No. 1 of the Diamond magistrates’ court, where both charges were read to her. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Her Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Ronald Daniels, applied for bail. However, SOCU said the prosecution, represented by Prosecutor Darin Chan, Attorney-at-Law, objected, citing the serious nature of the offences, the penalties prescribed upon conviction, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged forgery of official court documents involving GY$17 million.
Charter was granted bail in the sum of GY$500,000, subject to several conditions imposed by the Court.
Her matter was adjourned to November 30, 2026, for disclosure of the prosecution’s evidence.
