LONDON, England: A marketing executive for the Bahamas Tourist Board set up a sideline of cheap holidays to the island, but using his bosses’ money.
Alexei King, 40, was jailed for 15 months on Friday after it was revealed he turned to fraud to support an on-line gambling addiction.
King, of Appledore Road, Bedford, was taken on by the tourist board in 1999 and as part of his work he had a budget to arrange trips to the Bahamas for people who could then promote the island as a holiday destination.
Prosecutor Bozzy Sheffi told Luton Crown Court that for several years he worked well and successfully but last year he began his fraud.
One aspect was to arrange trips for ordinary people who would pay him personally about a third of the actual cost. The tourist board was unwittingly picking up the tab.
Towards the end of the year he was arranging trips for 2008 and was approaching people who had travelled before, suggesting if they made up a party of ten they could have a free place.
Many people paid up front but the fraud was uncovered before the holidays took place.
Miss Sheffi said the tourist board compensated everyone who had lost money and they had lost £26,450 through King’s dishonesty.
King pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud and two of theft and asked for 16 similar offences to be taken into consideration.
Derek Johashen, defending, said: “This is a tragedy for a proud man who has fallen from grace. He saw himself as an ambassador for The Bahamas and had everything going for him. He feels he has disgraced those he was promoting.
“His gambling had gripped him and he tried to deal with the problem but the debt did not go away.
“He knew for several months that he was going to be arrested but he did not run away and remained to face the music.”
Judge Barbara Mensah said: “The sheer dishonesty cannot be ignored.
Your breach of trust had an impact on the standing of those who employed you and on their finances.”
Colesy, no matter where you are in the world, stealing is a CRIMINAL offence. I take it that since he WAS a Bahamian, he is now English –so who left him to rot?
Colesy, that still does not excuse his “THIEFIN” so stop making excuses for him!
King was a Bahamian and proud of his country. He was let down by the Government also by promises that were not kept same as most Governments then just left over here to fend for himself in a country he didn’t even know. Thankfully we look after our people here in England and don’t just leave them to rot!!!!
How you all get from fraud in our London tourist office to street names?….lol….but fo real the names of those streets are hilarious and need to be changed.
The government needs to take a closer look at those they have employed overseas, especially the non Bahamians who may not have the best interests of this country at heart. The lower ranking Bahamians know all the dirt but are never in the position to speak to the right people. King is not the only person fleecing this country overseas.
The authorities know what they are doing with these BAD street names, because they change the name of “Bumer Road” quick.
That Bumer Road location is erased out of the minds of must Bahamians.
Burma Road refers to the 1942 riots over pay for the men who worked on the wartime air bases in Nassau. Two rioters were killed by British troops, more than 40 people injured and over a hundred arrested, but those unprecedented events also led to long overdue reforms. However, it is time for a MAJOR NATIONAL REFORM in this country.
My favorite is Choke Neck Alley.
Shocker, at lease the people on “Balls Alley” have a lot of “Balls” …Ah lol!!!
My favorite is “Balls Alley” off Shirley Street.
DO BAD STREET NAMES HELP CREATE BAD PEOPLE?
The man killed in an alley of Mason Addition, was said to have ran and died in an “UNNAMED ALLEY.” Maybe the authorities were to SHAME to disclose the name of the alley.
One of the famous alleys off Mason Addition is registered as “DEAD CAT ALLEY”.
Maybe it is a good time for the authorities to change that street name to “DEAD MAN STREET.”
It is mandatory in an election processes that every street has a name. But if the authorities were to place a sign on the street I live as “DEAD CAT ALLEY” or “DOG FLEA ALLY” I would dispose of the sign as well.
Now we can see why sooo many European guest declined over the years. FRAUD dominates our destination!
BP
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