THREE people, including a special constable, are facing fraud charges in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court after allegedly participating in a scam involving the forgery of the signature of junior minister of finance, Fitz Jackson, in order to waive over $45 million in debt accrued by a used car dealership.

Joni Williams, 33, of Kingston 8, Alvern Bird, 39, of Kingston 19, and Special Constable Ann-Marie McCallen, who was picked up by the police yesterday, have all been charged with conspiracy to defraud, forgery and uttering forged documents.

All three accused are scheduled to return to court on September 1 for the next hearing of the matter.

According to court documents, some time between 1991 and 2001 the Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department conducted an audit of Service Zone 2001 Limited, a certified used car dealership, and established that the firm owed taxes mounting to $45,425,893.09.

Some time during the month of September 2005, the court document said, Bird and Williams, who were then directors of the dealership, are alleged to have forwarded a fraudulent letter to the company’s attorney stating that the dealership had received a full waiver on the taxes owed to government. This letter was purportedly signed by junior minister Jackson.

When the letter was submitted by the company’s attorney to the tax appeal court, in an effort to secure a discontinuation of the matter, it was subsequently found out that the letter was fraudulent.

After being questioned by the police, the directors, according to court documents, initially stated that they had paid an external party $150,000 to secure the document granting the waiver. Subsequently, on March 29 of this year Bird and Williams were interviewed by the police, but court documents said they “failed to answer pertinent questions”. Both directors were then arrested and charged.

Arising out of further investigations into the incident, Special Constable McCallen became a suspect, and after being held by the police she was arrested and charged.