A 24-year-old man resident of Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, who presently has a number of charges before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court pleaded ‘not guilty’ on Monday (yesterday) to a count of fraudulent conversion of some $7 million.
Micah Sonaram appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he was ordered to post bail to the tune of $50,000 and make his next Court appearance in relation to the matter on May 10.
The charge read that on November 4, 2020, at North Road, Bourda, Georgetown, Sonaram, being solely entrusted by Steve De Costa, fraudulently converted $7 million obtained from De Costa to purchase an excavator.
Initially, the charge was indictable, however, after the prosecutor’s request for a summary disposal, the 24-year-old was required to enter a plea.
Sonaram’s lawyer, Latchmie Rahamat, in her bail application told the Court that the charges brought before her client are invalid and explained that on March 15, he made a previous Court appearance for the exact charge which was classed as “false pretence.’
In light of this, Rahamat requested that Magistrate McLennan grant nominal bail for her client and for additional facts pertaining to the charge.
Meanwhile, the Police Prosecutor told the Dourt that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had requested for the first matter to be discontinued since Sonaram was initially charged under the wrong Section of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.
However, it was explained that the current charge against the defendant is the same matter with a corrected classification.
Less than a month agon, Sonaram was slapped with three (3) counts of fraudulent conversion, when he had appeared before the Chief Magistrate.
The first charge at that time alleged that between November 19, and December 29, last year, at Georgetown, being solely entrusted by Mohamed Ahmad, he fraudulently converted $3.5 million obtained from Ahmad to purchase a motor vehicle, knowing same to be false.
The second charge stated that that between November 29, 2020 and January 2, 2021, at Georgetown, being solely entrusted by Ahmad, he fraudulently converted $3 million obtained from Mohamed Ahmad to purchase an excavator, knowing same to be false.
The third charge alleged that between December 2, 2020, and December 11, 2020, at Georgetown, being solely entrusted by Mohamed Ahmad, he fraudulently converted $2 million obtained from Ahmad to purchase an excavator, knowing same to be false.
Sonaram had not been required to plead to those indictable charges and was granted $20,000 bail on each charge.
