By Tashieka Mair, Star Writer

western bureau

Three former employees of Tyre Warehouse, who are accused of defrauding the company of $2.8 million were granted bail in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday.

The three, branch manager Dwayne Patterson, Carol Burnett, administrative manager, and sales assistant, Omar Robinson; all of St. James addresses.

They were charged in March after the company's account showed shortfalls.

The accused persons were granted bail in the sum of $500,000 with surety. They were warned not to interfere with the witnesses and were ordered to surrender their travel documents.

Stop order

A stop order was also imposed and they have been instructed to report to the Montego Freeport Police Station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

When the case was mentioned attorney-at-law Morrel Beckford, who is watching proceedings on behalf of the complainants, said the previous figure of $4.9m that was quoted to the court was revised.

He explained that the original sum was the result of transactions, which were allegedly created by the accused persons, and may have been used to cover up the discrepancies.

It was revealed to the court that there are still 10 statements to be collected from customers who were contacted by the accused persons.

Allegations are that in January, the owner of the business carried out stock checks, and noticed that the figures on computer records did not matched with the actual stocks at the premises.

Burnett allegedly said that she had done stock checks three days earlier, and everything had balanced. However, it is said that when she was asked to produce documented proof, she had none.

The police were called in the following day, and all three accused persons were questioned, and each later signed an agreement accepting responsibility for the shortfall, which was at the time calculated at $2.8m, and indicated that they would repay the money.

Burnett subsequently paid over $40,000 to the company.

Further investigations revealed that several customers were contacted and told that they had outstanding balances. Some customers, however, denied making several orders that were on record at the company.

Seven of the customers gave statements to say that they were contacted by both male accused about alleged problems pertaining to their accounts.

Patterson is represented by attorney Charles Sinclair; Roy Fairclough provides legal counsel for Burnett, and Robinson is represented by Clive Mullings.