By Damion Mitchell, Freelance WriterMANDEVILLE:
ELIAS AZAN, 43, pleaded guilty to defrauding the Jamaica Cancer Society when he appeared in the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's (RM) Court yesterday.
Azan, who worked as a police officer in the United States, was arrested by the Mandeville Police last Friday on charges of fraudulent conversion of cheques drawn on the Jamaica Cancer Society's Manchester branch amounting to $507,849.
He joined the Jamaica Cancer Society, Manchester Branch in May of this year and was elected to serve as the organisation's treasurer the same month.
The court was told that all the books relating to the organisation's finances were handed over to him shortly after his appointment. There was no meeting of the society in July as it had gone on recess and the branch's chairman and deputy chairman left the island for vacation overseas.
The court was told that while the organisation's chairman and her deputy were overseas in July, Azan approached the secretary of the association and asked her to sign some cheque leaves in the event that utility bills needed to be paid. The secretary who was also preparing for her overseas trip signed the cheque leaves as was requested by Mr. Azan.
On the return of the association's chairman in September, the financial statements were being examined and it was discovered that the cheques, drawn in large amounts, were paid to Mr. Azan.
When questioned about the amounts of money drawn on the Society's account, Azan reportedly said he had used the money to finance the upgrading of the organisation's computers. However, he was unable to produce corresponding bills. Dissatisfied with his explanation, the organisation's administrators called in the police and Mr. Azan was arrested and charged with fraudulent conversion.
Yesterday on hearing the details of the case, Resident Magistrate Marva Bishop commented: "This man seems to want to dry out the Society in short time."
Azan who pleaded guilty to the charges paid over $400,000 in restitution at the hearing, and was granted bail in the sum of $300,000. He was also ordered to surrender all his travel documents.
Attorney-at-law Lennox Gayle who represented Azan sought to explain that his client used the money to take care of pressing personal matters. Mr. Azan's father and the Rev. Oliver Daley, were also at the hearing. The chairman and secretary respectively of the Manchester Branch represented the Jamaica Cancer Society.
Mr. Azan is a member of several other non-profit organisations and service clubs in the parish. He is to re-appear in court on November 26.
