Mechanic slapped with fraud charge

A 29-year-old mechanic found himself before City Magistrate Judy Latchman on Wednesday morning at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, charged for fraud.
Anil Sookram denied that on June 15, 2017, in Georgetown, while being entrusted with the sum of $1.2 million by Kerwin Mars to purchase spare parts to repair his minibus, BVV 784, he converted the cash to his own use and benefit.

Reports are that the virtual complainant’s motor vehicle was involved in an accident, and his insurance company referred him to the defendant to effect the repairs on the bus.
An estimate prepared by Sookram indicated that a total sum of $1.6 million would be required to complete repairs on the said vehicle.
On June 15, Mars handed over the $1.2 million for works on the vehicle to commence. The works were to be completed in 30 days, but the defendant failed to honour the contract; and when a check was made, no work had been done on the vehicle.
This prompted the insurance company to confiscate the vehicle, and Sookram was later arrested and charged after he failed to return the cash which he had been given.
He was placed on $200,000 for the offence, and is expected to return to court on September 26.