A minibus driver accused of collecting money on promises to secure housing allocations has been charged with two counts of obtaining by false pretence and placed on $150,000 bail.
Karan Ramlakhan, also known as Kevin Singh, 25, of East Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. Bail was set at $75,000 on each charge, and the matter was adjourned to November 23.
According to a police statement, investigators received a complaint that Ramlakhan collected $300,000 from a person after claiming he could facilitate a house lot allocation through people employed at the Ministry of Housing.
Police said the alleged offence occurred in Georgetown between September 10, 2024 and September 14, 2026. The promised allocation was not secured, and the matter was reported.
During the investigation, police said, Ramlakhan allegedly admitted collecting money from individuals and passing it to people he claimed worked at the ministry to expedite housing allocations, in return for a percentage of the payments.
He further allegedly told investigators that the complainant’s $300,000 had been handed to one of those individuals. The police statement did not establish whether the people he referred to were ministry employees.
Police said they also received two additional reports alleging that Ramlakhan collected money under similar circumstances, promising to secure turnkey houses.
He was arrested on October 22 and charged on October 26.
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