POLICE from the Organised Crime Investigative Division (OCID) informed Resident Magistrate Lorna Shelly Williams that the State does not know the true identity of a man accused of fleecing dozens of persons of millions in deposits for motor vehicles.

The accused man, who is known by the names Horace Haughton, Omar Haughton, Dean Haughton and Dr Garcia Enrique Mendez, was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

The court was told he had six previous convictions for fraud-related offences.

Senior Clerk of Court Hansurd Lawson told RM Williams that the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) had no knowledge of a Horace Haughton.

“The RGD doesn’t know that name. He has spent time at Her Majesty’s pleasure and we are not sure of his true identity. He is a habitual (offender),” Lawson said.

The court was told that the accused set up the International Financial Services Ltd and fleeced 63 persons, including police officers, soldiers, teachers and private sector workers, of $3.6 million.

He is accused of asking the complainants to provide valid identification, four passport-sized photographs and their deposits of $70,000 with the promise of motor vehicles. However, no motorcar was allegedly delivered up to the time of his arrest last week as he conducted business at a car dealership in Kingston.

Hours after his arrest, Haughton allegedly attempted to commit suicide by ingesting a poisonous substance and was hospitalised under police guard.

However, his attorney Brian Barnes, who made it clear he had no intention of seeking bail for his client on his first court appearance for the new round of charges, argued that he had received no statement from the prosecution and said his client was in a position to refund all 63 complainants.

“He has set up a legitimate business with a legitimate persons. A number of items have been taken by the police. These items are enough for funds to be paid back. They include cars, computers and other items,” Barnes said.

During the preliminary hearing, the accused man stood in the dock with his head bowed throughout the proceedings. He bore a worried look on his face and seemed resigned to the fact that he would be behind bars until the case is again mentioned on March 7.

The court also ordered that the police provide an inventory of the items seized from him on February 25 when he will again answer to charges of money laundering, obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to defraud.

None of the 63 complainants turned up in court on Thursday.