Another businessman turns in bogus cheque to media

Tonight more bad checks are coming out of the woodwork. During our coverage of a brazen con artist ripping off local businesses in the city this week, yet another store owner has come forward with a bogus cheque, allegedly written by a member of the Safa family, this time in the name Yasser Safa. According to Vin Hong, owner of Vin Hong Wholesale on Euphrates Avenue, over several months last year this man, who he positively identified to us as Yasser Safa, was a frequent customer of his establishment, purchasing thousands of dollars in goods, mostly large quantities of liquor and soft drinks. But then sometime between November and December of last year, Vin claims Safa gave him this cheque, valued at more than twelve hundred dollars and with an address Yasser Safa Eternity Nite Club, mile two and half on the Northern Highway. Vin later determined that the check was worthless. After months of trying to get his money back from Safa himself, this morning the frustrated businessman says he has taken his case to the courts.

Vin Hong, Accepted Bogus Cheque
?He used to come buy from my shop, he used to come buy at the shop all the time, three, four time. But before when he come buy he used cash, but after that when he come, he say he short of some cash, he wah give me a cheque, mek I hold the check and when he have cash, he bring back for bring back the cheque for he, and he bring back the cash. After when I tek the cheque from he, I noh di see he again, right. Then I go look for him, I go to the business and he say he wah come pay me, Tuesday or Friday, he give me wah time for come pay, but he noh come pay. After like two, three weeks, I go look for him again and the business is closed and I cannot find the man again. I meet the man after that, like one more time and he say he wah come pay me and I trust he again, but after that I no see he, he no come.?

Janelle Chanona
?What was his name, what was the name he was telling you??

Vin Hong
?Yasser Safa.?

Janelle Chanona
?Yasser.?

Vin Hong
?Yasser Safa. He sign the check, I know him. The people know, he have a lot of business, people know him and tell me too.?

Janelle Chanona
?When you realized that this man wasn?t going to pay you, did you go to the police? What did they tell you??

Vin Hong
?I see police, sometimes they come here. I tell police to go look for this man, but police noh come back fu tell me nothing. But after many time, like tek too long right, I send the cheque to the lawyer, mek the lawyer collect.?

According to our calculations, this latest cheque brings the total haul of the scam to more than fifty-five thousand dollars in goods and services that have been ripped off from establishments such as Courts Belize, A.E.S., Belize Shipping Agencies, and local businessman, Haisam El Bathish. While Vin Hong’s attorney has initiated legal proceedings against Yasser Safa, tonight we understand that court officials have yet to deliver the summons to him. We also understand that Safa may have recently undergone a radical haircut that altered his appearance significantly. Meanwhile, police are also looking for Yasser’s brother, Samer, for questioning in connection with the bogus cheques.