Messenger who stole $49,275 to repay every cent, plus a fine

Michael Ali, 37, of Freeport, will not go to jail, however, as the State has agreed that a substantial fine be imposed on him on the condition that he repay the money stolen.

Ali pleaded guilty before Justice Malcolm Holdip in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court on charges that he stole different sums of money in 1992 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, in 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 to his own use $17,275 being part proceed 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 tendering 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.

Ali, who started working at the Licensing Department on September 10, 1990, was entrusted with money to take to the bank on a daily basis.

Ravi Rajcoomar appeared for Ali, while State attorneys Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo and Tricia Hudlin represented the State.

Before the case got off the ground, Rajcoomar submitted that there was an 11-year delay in bringing the indictment before a jury.

He asked the court to stay the proceedings on the ground of undue delay.

However, Waterman-Latchoo said she had consulted with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the acceptance of a guilty plea.

She said the DPP agreed to accept the guilty plea, provided that the accused repay the total sum of $49,275 and a substantial fine is imposed by the trial judge.

The prosecutor said the DPP was mindful that the cases were 11 years old and he was also interested in easing the backlog in the judicial system.

Notwithstanding this, however, Waterman-Latchoo said the message must not be sent to offenders that if they steal money, all they need to do is repay it if caught, and avoid any real punishment.

Rajcoomar accepted the DPP’s recommendation and said his client had agreed to repay the stolen money and accept the court’s fine. Holdip postponed sentencing to June 30. He remanded Ali on his continuing bail, saying that when the matter comes up on the next occasion, the accused will be fined instead of being sent to jail.