3 in court over fake vehicle import licences

Three people were granted bail amounting to $700,000 by a justice of the peace after being charged with misbehaviour in public office by the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB).

The three charged were Vidya Ramdass, 43, from Sangre Grande, an employee of the Ministry of Trade and Industry; Chhatrapal Lowkaran, 66, from Rio Claro, a foreign used-car dealer; and Edward Fraser, 68, also a foreign used-car dealer, from Princes Town. They were all charged on Thursday.

Ramdass was charged with two offences of misbehaviour in public office. Lowkaran, as a secondary facilitator, faces four charges. Fraser was also charged as a secondary facilitator.

They were charged by WPC Loney-Phillip, W/Cpl Brown and PC Alleyne, all from the ACIB.

They were charged with issuing fraudulent licences to a business place. Ramdass was granted bail of $350,000 on Friday. Lowkaran and Fraser were granted bail of $200,000 and $150,000 respectively.

The trio will appear before a Port of Spain magistrate on December 20.

It is alleged that Ramdass, a female trade officer II at the Ministry of Trade with responsibilities to issue trade licences for the importation of foreign used roll-on roll-off vehicles issued fraudulent licences to Lowkaran and Fraser between November 2020 and last July.

A police statement said extensive investigations were done between October 2021 and November 16, by officers of the ACIB supervised by Snr Supts Knutt and Singh and led by ASP Bryon Daniel.

The investigation included W/Insps Mc Millan and Weaver-Ali, Sgt Baldwin, W/Cpl Brown, WPCs Harewood and Loney-Phillip and PC Alleyne.

The homes of the accused being searched and several documents were allegedly found and seized, the statement said.

Charges were laid following advice from Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC.