THIRTY-TWO-year-old taxi driver Shimell Thomas of Lot 1 Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Seenarine-Beharry on Friday charged with fraudulent conversion, and was placed on $150,000 bail.It is alleged that between February 1 and March 28, 2013 at Georgetown, being solely entrusted with $1,007,000 by Jennifer Sertima to pay a lawyer, he fraudulently converted the money to his own use and benefit.

Police Inspector Michael Grant did not relate any facts to the court, but, Thomas’s lawyer, Mr. Paul Fung-a-Fat, alleged that the virtual complainant had given his client the money to bribe someone at the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Fung-a-Fat successfully requested that his client be admitted to bail in a reasonable sum, and the case was postponed to May 9.
AROUND THE COURTS With Geeta Rampersaud