KINGSTON, Jamaica — Retired business executive and accountant Geoffrey Messado, who on February 10 this year, was charged alongside his wife, disbarred attorney Jennifer Messado, has had the forgery charges against him dropped.

This disclosure was made in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Monday.

It was alleged that Messado had, along with his wife, intended to defraud and created certain documentation to include a promissory note to swindle businessman Lauriston Stewart out of US$$65,000.

This amount represented a loan that was made by Stewart with the understanding that the loan amount would have been secured by a property in which the Messados had an interest.

It was alleged that the property was subsequently sold without any repayment to Stewart.

However, Messado’s attorneys, Peter Champagnie K.C, and Neco Pagon, questioned the actions of the police in seeking to charge their client with four counts of forgery and two counts of obtaining money by false pretences.

Champagnie levelled heavy criticism against the police for not seeking the advice of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions before bringing any charges. He subsequently wrote to the Office inviting a review of the case against Messado.

READ: DPP to review criminal charges against Geoffrey Messado

As a result, the court was advised that the DPP, after a careful review of the matter, would not be pursuing the forgery charges against Messado.

Jennifer Messado, who is being represented by Christopher Townsend, is to appear in court on January 24, 2023.

Champagnie indicated that on that date, he would be making submissions for the two remaining charges against Messado to be dismissed.