Ebanks denies forgery charge over bank letter

Lewis Ebanks

(CNS): A local businessman pleaded not guilty on Friday to a charge of forgery in connection with a letter sent to a high street bank. Lewis Ebanks denied the allegation and the trial is scheduled for July. The charges related to a property deal in 2012, where Ebanks is accused of making a false document regarding the details of a deposit.  He is alleged to have written a letter to Scotia Bank claiming CI$23,750 had been paid to his company, Empire Development, but the authorities say the claim was untrue.

A Caymanian developer and investor, Ebanks recently broke ground on a much-anticipated US$200 million oceanfront development of over 120 luxury condos, as well as town houses on the North Sound coast close to the golf club. Gran Palazzo is expected to be built over the next five years and has government support with a number of concessions, as the project is expected to create over 200 jobs and inject millions of dollars into the local economy.