Six in court for alleged fraud at Licensing Division

SIX people, among them a licensing officer, a motor vehicle inspector and an attendant at the Licensing Division, have appeared in court on a series of fraud-related charges related to the theft of a car.

The six – Hans Christian Pierre, an events promoter of Petit Valley; David Seetan and his common-law wife Elisa Lutchman, freelance clerks at the division, both of Riverside Road, Curepe; Valmiki Ramjattan, a motor vehicle inspector; Ignatius Jeremiah, an attendant; and David Bedase, a licensing officer; appeared before Port of Spain Magistrate Adia Mohammed in the First Court on Friday.

It is alleged that on August 28, 2018, Pierre, stole a Hyundai Tucson, valued at $80,000, contrary to the Larceny Act.

Seetan was charged with uttering a forged change of ownership form between August 28 and November 8, 2018 and uttering a forged receipt for the vehicle during the same period and he and his common-law wife were jointly charged with uttering the fraudulent change of ownership form with intent to defraud and uttering a forged receipt.

Ramjattan, Jeremiah and Bedase were jointly charged with misconducting themselves by affixing their signatures to the fraudulent change of ownership form for the transfer of the vehicle and falsely representing that the vehicle was lawfully examined by the division.

They were all charged with conspiring to defraud the State by approving ownership of the vehicle by creating a false record.

Five of the six were granted $200,000 bail at the station and it was continued for two of them as Mohammed was satisfied with the arrangements relating to their sureties. She had concerns about the bailors who stood bail for the couple and Jeremiah, but allowed them to continue on their bail until Tuesday, when they are to return to court with their bailors.

Ramjattan, who had issues securing bail at the police station, was granted $250,000 by Mohammed, who allowed his brother to stand as his surety.

The six will return to court on Tuesday.