The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO correctional officers who were accused of using forged sick certificates to get time off from work in 2018 and 2019 will appear before the chief magistrate today for sentencing.

The men were accused of defrauding the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and the government in two separate incidents.

In the first case, Mercette Pinder, 26, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt after he was accused of uttering a fake Princess Margaret Hospital sick certificate on November 24 and December 1 of 2018. Pinder was also accused of uttering another fraudulent sick slip on December 2 and 12 of that same year.

The prosecution argued that the defendant received two sums of cash in the amounts of $693.84 and $867.30 from BDCS by means of false pretences on December 7, 2018.

During the hearing, Pinder pleaded guilty to all of the charges brought against him.

The prosecution said the commissioner of the prison reported the defendant submitted two sick certificates from the Public Hospital Authority on April 1, 2019, which he suspected were fraudulent. The court heard when he made preliminary checks with the PHA, the commissioner was told Pinder did not register at the hospital on the dates listed on the sick certificates. The medical chief of staff also confirmed the signatures on the slips were not made by any doctors employed by the hospital. Pinder was subsequently arrested. In an interview with police, he denied the allegations and insisted he did visit PMH. Still, he admitted that he never saw a doctor and instead, got two sick slips from a nurse he knew as “Knowles” for $15 and $25.

In the second case, Areyette Lightbourne, 25, appeared before Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt after he was accused of uttering a forged PMH sick certificate that was written in his name on May 11, 2019. He was further accused of uttering another fake sick certificate on June 12 that same year.

Yesterday, the prosecution also alleged Lightbourne obtained two payments of $180.42 from the government sometime between May 8 and 10 of 2019 and June 9 and 11 of that same year.

The court heard the commissioner of the prison also suspected the sick slips he received from Lightbourne were fraudulent. The prosecution said an investigation into the matter led police to PMH, where it was confirmed Lightbourne did not register for any service on the dates listed on the sick slips.

The court was told the signatures on the documents were not from any doctors working at the medical facility either. As a result of the investigation, Lightbourne was arrested. During an interview with police, he said he visited PMH on May 8, 2019 and attempted to seek medical attention for a stomach virus. He claimed while there, he became irritated with the poor service he received while trying to register and spoke to a nurse who noticed his frustration. The defendant claimed the nurse then took his information and returned with a sick certificate in his name. Lightbourne also said when he returned to PMH a second time for the stomach virus, the nurse recognised him from the prior incident and gave him another sick certificate.

After listening to the summary of the facts for both Pinder and Lightbourne’s cases, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt adjourned the matter to today for sentencing.

The officers were remanded to the BDCS overnight.