BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, March 04, 2010

A pregnant former National Housing Trust (NHT) employee, who was allegedly involved in a housing racket which defrauded persons of about $10 million, was on Tuesday remanded in custody after her bail was revoked in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.

The accused, Stacy-Ann Garvey, also known as ‘Coleen Henry’, who is currently awaiting trial for her alleged involvement in another 2008 housing racket, is charged with eight counts of obtaining money by false pretence and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.

Her co-accused Trevor McBrown, who is also charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of obtaining money by false pretence, was also remanded in custody after his bail application was denied.

Garvey was offered bail on her first court appearance after she fainted in court.

On Tuesday she was remanded in custody by Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey who argued that pregnancy was not an illness, even though Garvey’s attorney Patrick Peterkin said that his client was having a difficult and risky pregnancy. The attorney was instructed to bring medical evidence to support his claim.

Meanwhile Garvey, who hinted that she was being framed, said that she did not collect any money and had never met any of the complainants.

But one of the complainants who seemed to be quite angry quickly declared, “Yes, you came into my office and I know you.”

According to police reports, between 2008 and 2009 the accused persons and two other women posed as NHT representatives and told persons that they could acquire houses for them through certain contacts within the agency.

The unsuspecting individuals paid over monies in the sums of $6 million, $1.6 million, $534,000 and $500,000 to the accused persons but were subsequently unable to get houses.

The matter was reported and Brown, who reportedly acted as the bearer, was arrested and charged.
Garvey, who was later implicated, was arrested and charged after a search was launched for her arrest.
The accused are to return to court on April 5.