A security officer, who tricked persons into believing that he could get overseas work for them and even had them exercising to show how fit they were for the job, was remanded into custody when he appeared before the court.

Ricardo Whyte, 25, of Gregory Park, St Catherine, reportedly told the three complainants, from whom he collected a total of $31,000, that he was an employee of the Ministry of Labour.

According to police reports, Whyte told the complainants to visit the ministry on Saturday, on a day that the ministry’s office was closed, and instructed the complainants to perform exercises to test their fitness, in order for them to be accepted into the programme.

Whyte collected sums in the amount of $10,000, $7,000 and $14,000 from each of the complainants, who were all from rural

St Andrew.

He was later arrested and charged after the complainants found out that the plan was a sham and reported the matter.

Last Monday he pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining money by false pretence but pleaded not guilty to charges of breaching the Employment Regulatory Act, and conspiracy to defraud.

Whyte’s lawyer also denied that he was trying to defraud the complainants. He told the court that Whyte was employed, and as a result the complainants approached him to help them get on the programme.

He then begged the Magistrate, Lorna Shelly Williams to release him on bail so that he could make restitution, but the magistrate denied his request.

Whyte was then remanded into custody until September 17.