THE Trinidadian confidence trickster who goes by the name Daniel Ali (and uses several aliases) has struck again. 

This newspaper several months ago had broken the story about him, in the company of a male accomplice, renting cars from several dealers and selling them to unsuspecting individuals.
This time around he has allegedly swindled popular designer Olympia Small-Sonoram out of $75,000, feigning that his gay lover had cheated him out of his valuables and had thrown him out into the streets. That aside, he also reportedly extracted $30,000 from another designer Alex Lawson, pretending he can provide accommodation for him in Trinidad.
When this newspaper contacted Mrs. Sonoram, she said that the man was introduced to her by a reputable close associate who had sent him to her since he, the con artist, wanted a Mash costume custom made. She said the man seemed quite okay and paid in full for his first costume.
The very angry designer indicated that Ali (or whatever his real name is) visited her a few other times, and ordered designer clothing for which he paid. She said on a recent visit he engaged her in a mournful tale about his lover stealing his belongings and putting him out in the street.
She said he was all emotional and weeping and begged her to loan him $75,000 to get himself together, promising to leave his Trinidad passport and other valuables as security until he returned the cash in a few days. The designer said since he had seemingly become a good client, she decided to help him, but did not check the contents of a small bag he had left behind.

LEFT TRASH BEHIND
She said at the time of his speedy departure she was dealing with another client, and did not check the bag until about fifteen minutes later. Sonoram said she almost caught a fit when she realised the bag contained only strips of old newspaper, lip stick, other makeup, and other items of no importance.
She said by the time she raised an alarm and began searching for him, he had already disappeared.
The designer indicated that during their conversation he had lamented about his lover holding his car and refusing to return it despite his pleadings.
Lawson on the other hand said the trickster was introduced to him one night by another friend of his, and immediately began telling tales that he was a born Trinidadian and had come to Guyana with the intention of opening a hospitality business. Lawson said he was planning to visit Trinidad in a few weeks and quite naturally believed when the man told him that he was rich and that his father was a ministerial official there. Lawson said the man offered to get accommodation for him, but indicated that he would have to pay $30,000 up front to which he complied. He said since then he has not been able to make contact with the individual on the telephone number he had supplied.
When this publication received word of ‘Ali’s’ illegal operations a few months ago, our reporter contacted the car dealers who were robbed of their vehicles and soon realised that the description fitted ‘Ali’ who was renting an apartment in his neighbourhood.
The police were summoned but by that time ‘Ali’ had hurriedly left that location and had taken up residence at Uitvulgt, West Coast Demerara, where he lured a certain ‘Mr. Bruce’ into renting him a bottom flat to sell fast-food items.
It was from this location that police who were tipped off attempted to apprehend him, but not before he had made good his escape, leaving his accomplice Steven Baboolall to face the blunt force of the law.
Baboolall was arrested and later released from custody on bail and he never returned to the police station as instructed. Sources had indicated that Baboolall was reportedly hiding at relatives in Black Bush Polder.

DRAMA UNFOLDED
Right after such developments, this newspaper received information that ‘Ali’ had relocated at Black Bush Polder with his lover and had stayed there for a few weeks until the lover’s relative threw him out unto the streets.
Not long after he was spotted in the company of another male at a gay party at Brickdam, Georgetown. When he realised that he was being scrutinised by persons who knew he was wanted, he hurriedly left the venue in a taxi.
Lawson said that this individual is presently soliciting unsuspecting clients to whom he makes promises of being able to provide visas and demands partial payments to get the transactions completed. It is believed that this individual is still in Guyana making huge profits from his con games.

(By Alex Wayne)