Businessman arrested for issuing ten million bounce cheque to business colleague

The bounced Scotia Bank Cheque which was issued to the businessman 

Police Detectives in Essequibo are probing issuance of a bounced cheque from one businessman to another after the one who was issued the cheque turned up at the bank only to find out that cheque was worthless.

Businessman Wazeer and Hussain

BIG Smith News Watch was told that businessman Wazeer Hussein who operates the Wazeer and Hussain and Sons Rice Milling Complex and Export has been on the radar of the police for a while now after a number of small scale farmers who sold him paddy was not being paid for their deliveries to him.

In one case of a bounced cheque, we were told that after Hussain was arrested on Saturday, his agents sought to deliver a cash payment of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to a rice farmer who he, Hussain issued a bounced cheque of more than twelve million dollars to.

Regarding the ten million bounce cheque, BIG Smith News Watch was told that it was issued to Roopan ‘fowlcock’ Ramotar, a large scale rice farmer in Essequibo who was a first-time paddy seller to Hussain.

Documents that were provided to this publication show that the bank had written Ramotar informing him of their inability to process the cheque which was issued to him by Hussain and which he, Ramotar deposited.

The letter which was issued by the bank after the cheque bounced

Speaking with Ramotar on Sunday morning, the businessman related that he sold Hussain 464.6 tons of paddy back in November and since then he has been given the royal run around in order to secure the payment for the delivery of his commodity.

The two businessmen grew up as neighbors according to Ramotar but he claims he never sold his paddy to Hussain before since he, Hussain was taking the commodity from the small scale rice farmers where he would package and export the same to Venezuela.

BIG Smith News Watch was told that Hussain is believed to have already been paid by his Venezuela customers for the various shipments since he recently acquired a boat and pontoon.

A police source indicated that they are seeking to reach out to others in the Essequibo Region who have been issued bounced cheque or owed monies by the rice farmer to come forward with the necessary documentation so that they can assist the investigation.

Hussain is no stranger to news, in 2018 he was arrested and charged for blocking a government reserve which leads to an airstrip in Essequibo. There was one instance where a ministerial team had to use an alternative route to get off the airstrip after landing and discovering the access used to and from the airport was blocked by the businessman.

Days after that, the police were forced to escort an ambulance though the said stretch of reserve land to allow an ailing baby in an ambulance reached the airstrip to be medevacked to the city for medical treatment.