The Guyana Police Force on Tuesday filed 60 new charges against Cuban national Yuri Garcia and his Guyanese wife, Ateeka Ishmael, for the offence of conspiracy to defraud, allegedly committed on victims of a ponzi scheme, according to a press release.
Police said both suspects failed to appear at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to answer the charges.
Their Attorney Dexter Todd produced two medical certificates on their behalf to the police investigators which purport to show that they have both tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, police said.
“However, a perusal of the medical certificates by investigators has raised the suspicion that they may be bogus documents. Consequently, the police have launched an investigation to determine the authenticity of the medical certificates,” police added.
Garcia and his wife are principals of Accelerated Capital Firm (ACF) Inc. which is accused of running a Ponzi scheme that allegedly swindled 17,000 Guyanese out of some US$20 million.
The couple has also been slapped with charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act.
