MONTEGO BAY, St James — A bail bid built on shaky numbers has pushed a St James woman’s case beyond her home parish, with the proceedings now set to unfold in Hanover.

Desreen Clarke is accused of presenting an inflated property valuation to support bail for two people — a move that has placed her at the centre of a forgery case.

Clarke, who is charged with uttering a forged document, appeared before the St James Parish Court on Wednesday. She is represented by attorney-at-law Charles Sinclair.

When the case was called, the clerk of courts confirmed that it was ready for trial and the necessary documents would be served on the defence.

However, presiding Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton expressed reservations about the matter remaining within the parish.

“I think justice will be better served if the accused is prosecuted by a different team who can look at the file and make the necessary assessment and go further in terms of that,” she said.

For proximity, the judge ordered the matter transferred to the Hanover Parish Court for mention on October 28. She extended Clarke’s bail.

The charge stems from Clarke’s May 27 attempt to act as surety for two detainees. She allegedly submitted paperwork at the St James Parish Court office, including a valuation report purportedly issued by a Montego Bay loss-adjusting firm, which placed the property’s value at $880,000.

Investigators later discovered the property’s actual market value was $470,000 — nearly half of what the report claimed. Clarke was subsequently arrested and charged.