Trio accused in forgery scheme granted bail

Three persons accused of running a months-long false pretence and forgery scheme against a West Coast Demerara (WCD) businessman were each released on $300,000 bail when they appeared before the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Paul Watson, 49, of Old Road, Zeelugt; Parbattie Sharma, called “Paro,” 58, of Independence Street, La Grange; and 55-year-old driver Omar Rudolph, also of Independence Street, were jointly charged after police in Regional Division Three alleged that they forged several official documents and used them to obtain money from the 43-year-old La Union businessman. According to police, the offences were committed between September 2024 and May 2025, during which the three allegedly misrepresented themselves and produced forged documents during a series of transactions.
They are charged with obtaining by false pretence, contrary to Section 194 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act; along with four counts of forgery of an official document under Section 245(a). The charges were read to them by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, and they were not required to enter pleas. The matter was adjourned to February 17, 2026.
Watson’s latest charge adds to a long history of similar allegations against him, dating back nearly a decade. In January 2024, the then 47-year-old minibus driver was remanded after pleading not guilty to obtaining by false pretence stemming from an August 2023 arrest. That case remains before the court.
His record also includes multiple fraud allegations from 2019 and 2020, when he appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, accused of obtaining $2.7 million from two persons by pretending he was a police officer capable of filing a notice of appeal. He was granted $800,000 bail in those matters before being brought before Magistrate Faith McGusty the following day on three additional charges, for which he was released on a further $500,000 bail.
Watson had also been charged in 2021 for allegedly collecting $420,000 from an individual by falsely claiming he could secure a firearm licence. He first entered the court system in 2017 for similar allegations, though those matters were dismissed. Police have previously urged anyone else who may have been defrauded under similar circumstances to come forward. Monday’s charges now place all three defendants under court scrutiny as the investigation continues.