Four women to face trial in September for allegedly defrauding Sagicor of $65 million.

Four women, including two sisters, have been implicated in an alleged $65 million fraud at Sagicor Bank in 2022. A September 17 date has been set for a plea and case management hearing in the matter. The accused women, Tricia Moulton, Alysia Moulton White, Malika McLeod, and Tishan Samuels, appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court last week. Samuels was the last to be charged in February of last year, with charges including larceny as a servant and conspiracy to defraud. After the court proceedings last week, the bails of all four women were extended until the September 17 hearing date.

Alysia Moulton White, a former Sagicor group vice-president, was separated from the company on December 31, 2022. She has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, receiving stolen property, unlawfully making available data or device for the commission of an offence, and engaging in a transaction that involved a criminal offence. Her attorney has maintained her innocence, insisting that the charges relate specifically to $661,000. Tricia Moulton and Malika McLeod are also facing multiple charges including conspiracy to defraud, access with intent to commit or facilitate an offence, and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The allegations against Tricia Moulton and Malika McLeod involve conspiring to defraud about six Sagicor customers’ US currency accounts of sums of money between August and October 2022. Investigations following these allegations led to the charging of Alysia Moulton White and Tishan Samuels in connection to the fraud. Samuels was picked up by members of the Fraud Squad at Sagicor’s New Kingston headquarters in February of last year and was charged with larceny as a servant, conspiracy to defraud, and access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence under the cybercrimes law. Following an interview in the presence of her attorney, Samuels was offered station bail.

The plea and case management hearing date set for September 17 will allow for further proceedings in the case against the four accused women. The charges brought against them include various financial crimes related to the alleged $65 million fraud at Sagicor Bank in 2022. The case has garnered attention due to the involvement of the former Sagicor employees, including a former group vice-president. The bails of all four women were extended following the court proceedings last week, indicating that they will remain out on bail until the hearing in September.

The attorney representing Alysia Moulton White has maintained her innocence and stated that the charges against her specifically relate to a smaller amount of money, $661,000. The charges against the accused women range from conspiracy to defraud to larceny as a servant, indicating a complex financial crime case. The outcome of the plea and case management hearing on September 17 will provide more clarity on the next steps in the legal proceedings against the four women. The case highlights the importance of accountability and transparency in financial institutions to prevent and address fraudulent activities.