The company he keeps

There is a saying... "once a tief... "

I'm reading in the Express today about one Lennox Smith, the so-called community leader who has been revealed as a big time crook. Not a small time one who taking the office stationery or petty cash, or the tea bags out of the office kitchen.. but one who actually goes about purporting to be someone else in order to collect monies under... well, false pretences. There's a word to describe such a person - a conman.

Now, Lennox denies all, despite papers available showing he is actually the person identified. He puts the blame on his son (who lives in the USA). What a dad!!

Among his transgressions:

• Documents show that a false invoice for the sum of $69,643.92, under a CW Interiors letterhead, was forwarded to the Ministry of Labour for payment. Attached to the invoice was a letter verifying that a "Mr Advin Williams" be authorised to collect the cheque. An "Ali Khan" from the Accounts Department of CW Interiors signed the letter.
• A bank statement shows that a deposit for the same sum was made to an account of Samuel Lennox Smith, trading as CW, account number 1484186, at First Citizens.
• The Express, however, was reliably informed that CW Interiors hired a private investigator to track down Samuel Lennox Smith and found that this person was, in fact, Lennox Smith.

Hmm, here's another:

• In another questionable incident, Smith purchased three return tickets from Trinidad and Tobago to London, for Guerra and her two children, Jenelle Guerra and Jason Hernandez, at a cost of $14, 266.95 under the name Samuel Smith from Aziza Tours and Travel Service Ltd.
• Smith made the payment to the travel agency with a personal Scotiabank cheque on a Friday.
• Guerra claimed that during her first week in London, she received a call from the travel agency, informing her that it had been issued a "dishonoured" cheque.

But wait!

• Guerra also alleged that Smith received money from a government ministry to purchase the tickets. Instead of paying the money to the travel agency, she claimed, he deposited it into a First Citizens account, number 1500929, under the name Samuel Lennox Smith of Aziza Tours and Travel Service. An invoice from Aziza's does name the client as the Ministry of Culture.
• Documents provided to the Express also show that Smith has various accounts at First Citizens, in the name of several companies, including the Trinidad Express, Aziza Tours and Travel Service and CW Interior. These accounts were confirmed by an official of First Citizens.

And alas...

• Along with bank statements and doctored letters, Guerra also displayed various company rubber stamps, which were allegedly used by Lennox Smith. These include stamps from the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprises, CW Interior, The Wizz Computer and George Fraser Consultants.

Now, when I think of the names associated with UNC, like Ish, Kuei Tung, Ferguson, Warner, I realise Smith must be feeling a little out of his league. I mean, them boys really big... watch the court charges and you see is no petty con job they pull. Them is proper 'white collar' crimes they get charged for. Even boss man Panday had a little stash away in Natwest... (I better close my Natwest account yes!).

So Smith must be trying to move into the big leagues, or else must be just at home in the company he keeps.