Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter

A former employee of the Ministry of Youth and Culture, accused of swindling the entity out of millions, had his bail extended when he appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

Charged with conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering forged document, larceny as a servant, access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence, and corruption and falsification of accounts is 26-year-old transport officer Michael Baxter, of a McIntyre Villa, Kingston 16 address.

Allegations are that, between the period of November 2013 and August 2014, Baxter, then transport manager employed to the Ministry of Youth and Culture, was tasked with supervising the issuance and receipt of cards unique to the entity used for fuel. It is believed that the accused used the fuel cards while the corresponding vehicles were either out of service, or not at the location to receive the fuel at the time the card was being used.

It is further alleged that, to facilitate the frequency of the usage of the fuel cards, Baxter accessed one of the entity's information systems and adjusted the mileage on a number of fuel cards to misrepresent its present consumption, thereby allowing for further withdrawal.

It is also alleged that Baxter falsified the statement of accounts to misrepresent the cost of fuel incurred for each service vehicle, forged his supervisor's signature on a cover letter, and uttered said letter to the accounting department for payment for the sole purpose of obtaining benefit in the form of money to the tune of $5.4 million.

Subsequently, the accused man was arrested and charged by detectives from the Fraud Squad. When cautioned, it is believed that the accused man said: "They say me take $5.4 million, that is not true, is far less, maybe about $200,000."

In court, the accused man had his bail extended by Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey until January 16, when he is to reappear. As a condition of his bail, Baxter is expected to report to the Fraud Squad twice per week between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.