Four complainants have accused a man of collecting more than $500,000 from them to solicit scholarships on their behalf, but none was forthcoming. This landed the man in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, on Wednesday.

Nigel Darmaine, the accused man, appeared to answer charges of five counts of obtaining money by false pretence and four counts of fraudulent conversion.

The court was told that last year Darmaine collected US$7,000 ($469,000) and $220,000 from the complainants to source scholarships for the students who were being tutored by him for SAT exams. However, the complainants have not received any scholarships. But his attorney told the court that his client was certified to offer the services and that several of the complainants who are alleging that he owes them actually owes him money.

The investigating officer however told the court that when they went to arrest him he ran and that he asked the police not to arrest him on Friday, but they should come back on Monday so that he could have the people's money to return to them.

His attorney rebutted the statements claiming that his client had in fact just went to his office for documentation to prove that the complainant's had owed him. His attorney also said his client had contracts with the complainants outlining what he was to do and what they had paid him to do.

After listening to the arguments, Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey granted him bail of $500,000 with one or two sureties. He was also ordered to surrender his travel documents and a stop order was also issued. He is to return to court on February 27 when the matter will be mentioned.