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A 47-year-old financial manager of a Caroni company, who is accused of embezzling $1.3 million from her former employer, had her bail doubled when she appeared in court yesterday morning.
Deanna Naalini, 48, of St Augustine Circular Road, Tunapuna, was granted $300,000 bail by a Justice of the Peace on Thursday, as she could not attend court while the Judiciary was continuing structural checks on courts around the country following Tuesday’s 6.9 magnitude earthquake.
However, when she appeared before Magistrate Debra Quintyne in the Tunapuna Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, Naalini’s bail was increased to $600,000.
As part of the conditions of her bail, Naalini was ordered to surrender her passport and report to police three times a week for the duration of her case.
Naalini, a former employee of TYE Manufacturing Company Limited, was slapped with 88 charges—32 offences of money laundering; 32 offences of larceny and 24 offences of falsification of accounts.
She was not called upon to plead to the charges during the hearing.
The company reported the fraud to the Fraud Squad after it was discovered earlier this year.
An investigation was conducted by a team of detectives led by Senior Supt Totaram Dookie and she was arrested on Monday.
In addition to the charges, investigators have obtained orders from the High Court freezing her bank accounts and seizing a Volkswagen Passat sedan, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The charges were laid by Sgt Cornelius Samuel. Naalini will reappear in court on September 12.