Embattled real estate attorney Jennifer Messado has been slapped with additional fraud charges in relation to three separate land transactions.
The 68-year-old attorney, who was rearrested when she appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday, was however offered $400,000 bail and is to appear in court on July 12.
Her attorney, Christopher Townsend, told the Jamaica Observer that one of the matters is in relation to allegations that his client collected $8 million from a hotelier for the purchase of a property.
When asked how much money was involved in the three cases, Townsend said “quite a lot of millions”.
In the meantime, Messado received bail extensions in the other matters when she appeared in court. She is scheduled to return to court on September 11 for a plea and case management hearing.
Seventy-two-year-old Beverley Barakat, who is charged with Messado in one of the matters where it is alleged that Messado tried to sell properties belonging to a church, also had her bail extended on conspiracy to defraud charges.
In that case, allegations are that on December 20, 2017, Messado prepared an agreement of sale for two parcels of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner.
Messado is accused of forging the signatures of two trustees, along with affixing the property owner’s stamp and letterhead to facilitate the transaction, and allegedly collected US$270,000 as down payment from the prospective purchaser.
It is reported that one of the two signatures on the sales agreement was for a member of the church, but he and the other trustee both denied signing the agreement.
As it relates to Bakarat, it is alleged that she contacted the purchaser about the sale of the properties and that she did not carry out her due diligence before the property was put up for sale.
Messado is also accused of defrauding Jamaican entertainer Mavado of $30.7 million. Police report that in April 2017, the entertainer was introduced to a property at Grosvenor Terrace in the Kingston 8 area and that Messado professed to have been given permission to oversee the sale as the owner was incarcerated overseas.
Mavado reportedly paid over $30.7 million to the accused through his lawyer, but it was later found out that the owner was not incarcerated and that he was not selling the property, nor had he given Messado permission to act on his behalf.
In court when the matter was mentioned, it was revealed that she had returned only $7 million to the entertainer.
In the other matter, Messado is accused of defrauding Norman Horne, executive director of ARC Properties, and his sister of $28.6 million which was reportedly paid over to Messado for a property located on Argyle Road in St Andrew, and owned by the Sports Development Foundation.
The court heard that Messado told the complainants that she was retained by the foundation to conduct the sale. However, it was later discovered that the company had not retained Messado.
The accused attorney is also to answer to charges of forgery, uttering forged documents and attempting to obtain money by means of forged documents following allegations that she visited a financial institution in the Corporate Area and tendered a signed letter to the manager with the signatures of two persons claiming she had instructions to do business on their behalf.
However, after checks were made it was reportedly discovered that neither persons gave the attorney permission to conduct business on their behalf.
Messado is a theif. Wha dem a run down inna dem ole age. Me would a love fi see dem tek the money and things dem a run down when dem bury.
Lock her up a dash weh di key. Years upon years dis a gwan. Millions of dollars stolen from people. Justice must be served. Let this be an example to those who are in the same ring of fraudulent activities. Wickedness!!!
She should repay all those ppl and serve at least 15 years in prison. That’s what America would do. Teach her a lesson.
She is not the only lawyer doing this in Jamaica.