Man who forged former security minister’s signature in birth certificate scam again charged with fraud
Thirty three year old Garth Savoury, the man who pleaded guilty in 2017 to forging the signature of former National Security Minister Peter Bunting in a birth certificate scam, has again been charged by the Fraud Squad.
Mr. Savoury, who was charged last month with submitting forged documents to the German embassy, appeared before the St. Andrew Parish Court on Thursday where the case was mentioned.
He is to return on January 14.
Mr. Savoury was arrested at the German Embassy on November 6 when he went to collect his passport and visa.
Investigators reported that he submitted a fake bank statement along with his visa application.
The fraud was uncovered by the embassy and the police called in.
In 2017, Mr. Savoury, a former Marketing Manager of the Jamaica Football Federation and another man, 27 year old Ramone Gordon, were charged after investigations revealed that Mr. Bunting’s signature was forged in a birth certificate scam.
It was reported that the Registrar General’s Department received several letters, purportedly from the Ministry of National Security, requesting emergency birth certificates for individuals in need of protection.
The letters claimed the persons were at risk and the Ministry had an urgent need to have them removed to shelters abroad.
The two pleaded guilty to forging Mr. Bunting’s signature.
Mr. Savoury was fined $350,000 and given a three year suspended sentence, while Mr. Gordon was sentenced to two years’ probation.