Salesman fined for embezzlement

A SANGRE Grande man was on Monday fined $3,500 by an Arima magistrate for embezzling $2,558 from Ramco Gas Industries where he worked as a driver/salesman. The man was also ordered to pay the $2,558 as compensation to the company.

Mohan Sooklal, 33, of Eastern Main Road, Damarie Hill, Guaico, Sangre Grande faced judgment before Magistrate Gail Gonzales, who presided over the First Court.  Sooklal pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling $2,558 from Ramco Gas Industries and one count of wasteful employment of the police’s time. The charges were laid by PC Callendar of the Arouca CID. The court heard that last Tuesday, Sooklal was entrusted with 120 20-pound LPG cooking gas tanks at the compound of Ramco Gas Industries, Trincity Industrial Estate. These tanks were to be sold in the Trincity and Arouca area. However, later on that day, he reported to police that whilst returning to the Ramco compound following the sale of all of the tanks, the truck got a flat tyre along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in Trincity. Sooklal told police that he left the truck parked at the side of the highway to telephone his bosses and let them know what had transpired. When he returned to the truck, Sooklal said, he noticed a lock, which secured an iron mini-vault at the back of the truck, was cut and $2,558, which represented the earnings from the sale of the gas tanks, was missing.

A team of Arouca CID officers led by Sgt Beepath Samai and including PC Jason Callendar and others began investigations, and soon realised that there were several discrepancies in Sooklal’s story. When confronted with these discrepancies, the court heard, Sooklal confessed that he had stolen the money and had lied about the burglary. He was subsequently charged with embezzlement and wasting the police’s time. Sooklal appeared in the Arima Magistrate court last Thursday where he pleaded guilty to all charges. Sentencing was postponed to Monday. When the evidence was heard by Magistrate Gonzales on Monday, she fined Sooklal $1,000 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour for the wasteful employment charge and $2,500 for the embezzlement charge or six months’ imprisonment. She also ordered Sooklal to pay $2,558 in compensation to Ramco Gas Industries. Magistrate Gonzales allowed Sooklal 28 days to pay the fines and compensation.