A 34-year-old taxi driver, who was charged on December 21 with fraudulent conversion, was on Friday found guilty by Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Ravindra Persaud was in absentia found guilty of fraudulently converting over $2 million in items for his personal use, property of Yasmin Deonauth. Before presenting her decision, Magistrate Latchman stated that acting on the sworn evidence given by Deonauth, it was clear the Persaud was an agent who was presented with the items for a particular purpose and any funds received were not for him. She added that the defendant acted in a dishonest manner and sold the items using the money for his own purpose. Persaud was subsequently found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 or in default, serve one month imprisonment.
It is alleged that during October and November, Persaud was instructed by Deonauth to sell 154 buckets of nails, 220 cases of Charmin toilet paper, 85 cases of Charmin paper towels, 51 bed sheet sets, 2 packets Bounty paper towel and 4 sets of bathroom mats, having an accumulated value of over $2 million, but converted them to his own use.
Persaud, of 474 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara had pleaded not guilty to the charge which was first called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. He was later granted $150,000 bail and was ordered to report to the fraud squad everyday.
