Car dealer fined $20,000 for fraud

Mohammed pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court, to three charges.

One charge alleged that on August 16, 2016 at Debe Village near Penal, he stole $6,500 from Sunil Jairajsingh. And on same day and place, he stole $3,500 from Gary Persad and $3,500 from Darin Ganess.

The charges arose from the taking of the monies, the court police prosecutor attorney Cleyon Seedan told the court, from the victims and promises made to them that the monies would go towards downpayments for vehicles.

Forde-John fined Mohammed $3,500 on each of the three charges. The magistrate also read more charges that he took $24,500 from Dave Seepersad in Siparia, and, $53,000 and $4,000 from Kevin Mangoo and Mahadeo Geewar respectively in Couva.

The charge relating to the Siparia matter was transferred for today in the Siparia Magistrates’ court and the two in the Couva district, were transferred to Monday in the Couva Magistrates’ Court. A fourth charge which alleged that Mohammed took $10,000 from Vanessa Sookai, in Chaguanas, was also read to Mohammed and that case was transferred to the Chaguanas court for Monday as well.

Mohammed was remanded into custody. The charges stemmed from investigations conducted by the Fraud Squad headed by Senior Supt of Police Totaram Dookie, Cpl Darwin Badree, Ag Cpl Shane Ramdath and PC Brandon Solzano.