OLD HARBOUR, St Catherine – An Old Harbour businesswoman who allegedly swindled a Montego Bay businessman of US$7,000 after promising to provide him with a United States visa, was offered $400,000 bail when she appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s court Tuesday.

Margaret Munroe, 46, of Glendon Court, who was arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretences last month, was ordered by the court to give her fingerprints to the police, surrender her travel documents, and report to the police twice weekly. She is to return to court on August, 21, when the case will again be mentioned.

Allegations are that in December 2006, the complainant was introduced to Munroe who said she was in charge of recruiting people for a United States work programme. Munroe, it is alleged, said it would cost US$7,000 to secure the US visa which should be paid up front.

The businessman told senior St Catherine resident magistrate Lorna Errar-Gayle that he sold his meat shop to secure the US dollars and handed the money over to Munroe with his passport. He said when the visa was not forthcoming, he made several trips to Old Harbour to retrieve his money and passport without success.

He testified that on one occasion he threatened to report the matter to the police but Munroe said she would “make him disappear” as she had the Old Harbour police “locked”.

He reported the matter to the police in February this year and Munroe was arrested after investigations.

Defence attorney George Soutar told the court that the complainant’s passport had been returned to him by courier, but the money was not returned.