Pay $55,000 for ripping off Govt

A FORMER accounts clerk who stole $49,275 from the Licensing Department where he worked, was yesterday ordered to pay $55,000 in fines apart from repaying the stolen money. In default of the payment of the fines, Michael Ali will go to jail for a total of six years. He has already repaid the $49,275 to the Comptroller of Accounts. Ali, 40, of Freeport, pleaded guilty last week before Justice Malcolm Holdip in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court on charges that he stole different amounts of money in 1992 and 1993 belonging to the Licensing Department. He appeared in court on three charges, but four other pending cases were taken into account during the guilty plea.

It was alleged that Ali, on December 23, 1992, at Port-of-Spain, being entrusted with the sum of $116,697.13 by the Transport Division, Ministry of Works and Transport, to deliver the said sum to the Central Bank, did fraudulently convert it to his own use, $17,275 being part proceeds of the said sum entrusted to him to deliver to the said bank. He was also charged with forging a deposit slip with intent to defraud. He was further charged with uttering a forged document, namely a deposit slip, at the Central Bank, purporting to be good and valid, knowing it to be forged and with intent to defraud. Ravi Rajcoomar appeared for Ali, while State attorneys Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo and Tricia Hudlin represented the State.

In passing sentence, Justice Holdip said that offences normally carry prison terms. He said because of a change in the law, accused persons can now plead guilty and throw themselves at the mercy of the courts in the hope that they will not get a custodial sentence. Justice Holdip also pointed out that there was a delay of 11 years before the case was brought to trial. He told the accused that he had breached the trust which his employers, the Government, placed in him. “You have lost a career in the Public Service. You and your family have suffered, because at the end of the day, you are now a convicted felon. It seemed that you fell into temptation three days before Christmas. Whatever drove you to perpetuate this crime, you were successful. Then Carnival came around the corner and you felt like spreeing.”

The judge continued, “Life was nice and money was coming in. Being an accounts clerk, you used that privileged and trustworthy position to defraud your employers.” Justice Holdip pointed out that since Ali was charged, he led a straight life. “You did not remain in a hammock and sip pina colada, you went to work. You hurt your family and you couldn’t get married because you were in some state of serious trouble.” Justice Holdip said he was not going to send Ali to jail, but ordered that he pay fines of $25,000, $15,000, and $15,000 on the three charges, to be paid by October 3. The case was also the last for Insp Lennox Elliot who has been coming to court five years after he retired.