Motorist pleads guilty to possessing forged documents
ST JAMES, Jamaica — A man who showed up at the Savanna-la-Mar Tax Office in Westmoreland two years ago to pay a motor vehicle examination fee has pleaded guilty to possessing forged documents.
Albert Tennant appeared in the St James Parish Court on January 20, where he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of revenue paper before such paper has been duly stamped, signed, and issued for public use, and one count of possession of a forged document.
According to a release from the Ministry of Finance and Public service, Tennant visited the tax office on Tuesday May 6, 2014, and asked for assistance with the purchase of an examination fee.
The ministry said he presented a Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate and a Certificate of Fitness, but it was noticed that the registration certificate did not appear authentic.
It was later discovered that the document belonged to a series, which had been reported stolen from the Tax Administration Jamaica’s main stores, the ministry reported.
Additionally, the Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) on Tennant’s driver’s licence was different to that on the registration certificate. The ministry said he also had a fraudulent insurance cover note.
The matter was reported to the Revenue Protection Department and Tennant was subsequently arrested and charged with the offences for which he pleaded guilty, as well as conspiracy to defraud.
The latter charge was subsequently dropped.
He is to be sentenced on March 29.