Deceased teacher case: NGO trustees incriminate president

Mumbai: In a major setback for the president of an NGO that had claimed to be the beneficiary of a dead Bandra teacher’s estate, four persons who were trustees of the NGO deposed before the court saying that they never knew the teacher and the president Teddy David did everything in the name of the NGO. The trustees also told the court that “it was David who did everything” when asked about the amounts received by the NGO and two other service providers were made by David. The disclosure has only strengthened allegations that David issued cheques from the accounts of the dead teacher himself, thus being guilty of perjury and fraud.

The single bench of Justice G.S. Patel in the course of hearing a testamentary petition filed by Grace Educational Society, an NGO through its president David had called its trustees to know the work done by them and the role of David. Four of the five trustees who appeared before the court included Simon Fernandes, Gracy Fernandes, Anju Fernandes and Lawrence Fernandes.

On being questioned by the court, Simon informed that he met David and set up the NGO but as they were unable to raise funds hence no work was done by the NGO. On being asked whether they knew DaCosta, the four said that they did not know him at all nor knew how he looked. Simon also admitted that he was a partner with David in M/s TouchPoint Services and M/s Life Partner, which received some amounts from DaCosta’s account in Citizens’ Credit Cooperative Bank.

Simon further said that it was David who did everything, and he did not know what was going on. Gracy also admitted that she received an amount of Rs 43,000 from DaCosta’s account and the cheque was given to her by David.

Following the deposition, Mr Patel observed, “I will accept these explanations for the present. They leave a very large number of questions yet to be answered by Teddy William David, and there is yet pending his previous commitment to return all amounts withdrawn from DaCosta’s bank account.” The case has been listed for February 28.