A fourth defendant has been charged in connection with an apparent major Customs fraud.
Customs officer Jeanette Browne is the latest person implicated in an alleged racket in which millions of dollars in government revenue were reportedly fleeced from the Customs and Excise Division.
Browne was arrested on Thursday after reporting for work, sources said.
Browne, along with customs brokers Rowan Matthew and Foster George who were already facing charges relating to the apparent scam, have all now been charged with conspiring to defraud and fraudulent conversion.
Additionally, Matthew and George were also charged with obtaining by false pretences and making a false declaration to Customs. They received bail yesterday afternoon from the High Court after representation from attorney Andrew O’Kola.
The two brokers now each have five charges against them, which also include conspiracy to commit fraud on which they were previously jointly charged with Customs officer Joezine Christian.
Matthew, George and Christian are due back in court on October 5.
Browne was bailed by the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, also represented by O’Kola.