By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
TWO Dominican women were charged yesterday with fraudulently obtaining a Bahamian voter’s card, NIB card and passports, the latest cases as authorities crack down on fraudulent IDs ahead of the general election.
Prosecutors allege that Jane Doe, also known as “Marianelis Francis”, 30, obtained a voter’s card from the Parliamentary Registration Department on March 22, 2017, in New Providence by uttering a fraudulent Bahamian passport in her name. She is also accused of fraudulently obtaining an NIB card by uttering the same fake passport on September 14, 2020.
She is further alleged to have uttered the same passport at the Passport Office on January 31, 2022, to obtain another passport on February 15, 2022.
The accused was allegedly found with a fraudulent passport and voter’s card on April 27.
Romona Del Bois Mercedes, 48, is accused of conspiring with others to commit fraud on September 20, 2013, and August 12, 2018.
Doe is charged with three counts of possession of a false document, three counts of uttering a false document, and two counts of fraud by false pretences. Mercedes faces two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly-Burrows.
Doe was granted $9,000 cash bail, while Mercedes was granted $6,000 cash bail. Doe must sign in at the Nassau Street Police Station every Thursday by 6pm, and Mercedes must report to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station on Thursdays by 6pm.
They are scheduled to return to court for trial on August 8.
Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom prosecuted the case.
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