MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A witness who took the stand at approximately midday today in the Manchester Municipal Corporation fraud trial admitted to never being employed there or doing work for the entity but cashed a cheque in her name and handing over the proceeds of $300,000 to accused Sanja Elliott, former deputy superintendent of the Road and Works Department. 

Elliott is one of eight accused on trial for the over $400 million allegation of funds being misappropriated.

The investigation revealed that some cheques were drafted fictitiously and payments made for work not done. 

Today, the witness revealed that she became friends with Elliott in 2015 because he would visit a fruit establishment where she worked at the time. 

She said they exchanged numbers and would talk on a daily basis as the friendship got “a little more serious.”

The witness said that since they were “pretty close” when he asked to do a cheque in her name she did not immediately ask questions but when she did ask, nothing came of the conversation. 

She told the court that she provided her TRN when Elliott asked for it to be placed on the cheque. 

“He (Elliott) said that he would send someone with the cheque and I said ‘OK’ So he sent a gentleman with a cheque,” said the witness. 

The witness identified in the courtroom the “gentleman” as Dwayne Sibblies, who was employed to Elliott, and is facing among other charges conspiracy to defraud. 

She said she went with him to the bank to cash the cheque and gave him the $300,000 sum to give to Elliott then returned to her job at the fruit establishment. 

Alicia Sutherland