Safa name linked to yet another bounced cheque

The case against a Belize City conman who has been writing phoney cheques to unsuspecting businesses is mounting as tonight there is yet another accusation; this time for a whopping forty thousand dollars. According to Belize City businessman Haisam El Bathish, on December first 2004, a man identifying himself as Ali Safa bought a forty thousand dollar car from him and paid using a Scotia Bank cheque. El Bathish deposited the cheque into his account at the Atlantic Bank, but days later it was returned. According to bank officials, the account, which was held by someone living abroad, was closed some time ago. El Bathish has since filed forgery charges against Ali Safa. This is the fourth incident reported this month which has included the name Safa. On November sixteenth, furniture and appliance retailer Courts was relieved of a forty-two inch plasma TV by someone claiming to be Samer Safa, who paid with a bogus Atlantic bank cheque. That report was quickly followed up by the management of A.E.S. who told authorities that they got a bad cheque in the name Yasser Safa in exchange for various electronic devices including a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine. Then on Tuesday, the Belize Shipping Agency also admitted that they were whopped by someone who gave them a Belize Bank cheque in the name Yasser Safa to pay almost six thousand dollars in freight fees for a forty-foot container to be shipped from Houston to Belize. Tonight we understand that all three men, Yasser, Samer, and Ali, are brothers who continue to reside in Belize City. And while it is still unclear whether these acts are being perpetrated by one individual or is in fact an elaborate scam by several parties, police are actively seeking this man: Samer Safa for questioning. If you have any information that may assist the police in their investigation, please contact the nearest station.