A Ministry of Youth Development employee has been charged with six counts of misbehaviour in public office after allegedly booking flights and accommodation to New York and sticking the Ministry with the tab.
DAVICA ROOP-BOODOO, a 40 year old accountant who has 18 years of service with the Government, was granted bail in the sum of two hundred thousand dollars with a surety by Justice of the Peace Steven Young.
ROOP-BOODOO allegedly made unauthorised requests for travel to New York in the months of August and September 2021, from a travel agency which is utilised by the Ministry.
The travel and accommodation amounted to ninety-four thousand dollars covering return air travel for several persons, including accommodation at the Hilton Hotel and the Marriot Hotel, New York.
The visit to New York was intended for personal use.
The requests were found to be fraudulent after a direct inquiry was made by the travel agency to the Ministry following several failed attempts to receive payments.
Following an investigation by the Fraud Squad, Roop-Boodoo was arrested on September 6th, charged on September 8th and is expected to appear before the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court on November 15th 2021.
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