Ex-Journalist arrested

A 41-YEAR-OLD former journalist was arrested and charged yesterday with four counts of fraud. The former journalist, who runs a foreign car dealership, was held at his St Joseph business place by officers of the Fraud Squad headed by acting Inspector Kenrick Edwards.

He was charged late yesterday with fraudulent conversion of four sums — $41,000, $34,250, $14,000, and $41,900. It was alleged that these sums were paid to the car dealer as down payments for the purchase of foreign-used vehicles sometime in 2005.

When he failed to produce the four cars and/or refund the money, a report was made to the Fraud Squad.

The charges were laid by Constables Ramdhani Dipchand, Nisha Sookram, Lennox Benn, and Sophia Narine. The former journalist will appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate this morning.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old foreign used dealer of Palmiste, San Fernando, will appear in the same court charged with fraudulent conversion.

He was arrested by Fraud Squad detectives and charged with fraudulently converting to his own use, sums of $70,000 and $80,000. The charges were laid by WPC Nisha Sookram.