- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 25/Jun 15:13

High Court dismisses case against 3 in alleged licensing fraud

THREE men charged with misbehaviour in public office and uttering forged documents in an alleged fraud attempt at the Licensing Division have been discharged by the High Court. Motor vehicle inspector I Errol Supersad, 49, and temporary clerk I Sudesh Radhakissoon, both attached to the Caroni Licensing Division, were charged with misbehaviour in public office. Computer technician Adrian Mohammed, 51, was charged with two counts of uttering forged documents. The three were charged separately. The matter was heard by Master Adia Mohammed, who initially presided over the case in the magistrates’ court before transferring it to the Masters’ Court under the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act (AJIPA) in 2023, when the three were charged. On June 24, Mohammed discharged all three accused after the state failed to advance the prosecution, despite being granted multiple extensions. After the case was transferred to the Masters’ court in 2023, another master made a scheduling order, adjourning the matter to June 10, 2025, for a sufficiency hearing. At that hearing, Mohammed presided and questioned the state’s lack of readiness. The matter was then adjourned to June 13. When the prosecution again failed to appear, attorneys for the accused requested that the cases be dismissed. Attorney Renuka Rambhajan, who represented Supersad, argued that the matter illustrated how AJIPA could be misused. She said that although the legislation allowed cases to be transferred from the magistrates’ court to the Master’s Court, giving parties more time to prepare, the prosecution still failed to comply. She said her client had lost two years waiting for the case to proceed. The case was further adjourned to June 24. Initially, no one from the prosecution appeared. The matter was stood down twice before prosecutors eventually requested a fourth extension. Defence attorneys objected, and Mohammed agreed, dismissing the cases and discharging the men. The charges stemmed from a 2022 report made by a man who visited the licensing office in Port of Spain to verify ownership details of a black Nissan Navara registered in his name. He was informed that the vehicle had been transferred to someone else, a claim he denied. He reported the incident to the Transport Commissioner, who referred it to the Fraud Squad. Investigations allegedly revealed that a senior licensing officer and a temporary clerk had fraudulently prepared and submitted transfer documents to facilitate the transaction. Attorney Russell Warner represented Radhakissoon, while Michael Rooplal and Vishan Girwar represented Adrian Mohammed. The post High Court dismisses case against 3 in alleged licensing fraud appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.