WHILE Trinidad national Daniel Ali, parading in Guyana as a chef and under other covers, has managed to outsmart several locals, reliable sources have informed that he is wanted by police in Trinidad for similar offences.A well-placed source in that twin-island republic yesterday contacted this publication via telephone, after reading two articles about Daniel Ali’s illegal practices here, and informed that Ali had fled his homeland after committing several offences, for which he is being pursued by police.

Reports are that he came to Guyana early last year with his lover, Steven Baboolall, and moved into an apartment at Lot 57 Roraima Housing Scheme, WBD, where he was parading as a chef.

A strange man hanged himself in that yard soon after, and Ali and his lover were seen hurriedly leaving the premises with packed suitcases.

It was later revealed that when police had visited the location to investigate the suicide incident, the two became scared and left hurriedly, to relocate at Uitvlugt, WCD, where they pretended to be caterers. However, they began renting cars from dealers and reselling the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers.

When local police began investigating their illegal actions, the ‘Trini conman’ managed to escape, but his accomplice was caught and later released on bail with instructions to return to the Leonora Police Station. He has since gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, Ali has gone on another crime spree, and has managed to rob three other individuals, using his emotional charades and very cunning strategies.

Just recently, he managed to swindle 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 in the streets.

That aside, he has also reportedly extracted $30,000 from another designer, Alex Lawson, by pretending he can provide accommodation for Lawson in Trinidad.

When this newspaper contacted Mrs Sonoram, she said the accused was introduced to her by a reputable close associate, who had sent him to her since he wanted a Mash costume custom made. She said the man seemed quite okay and paid in full for his first costume.

The 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. On a recent visit, however, Ali 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, was weeping, and had 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’ time. 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.

She said that at the time of his sudden speedy departure, she was dealing with another client and so 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 newspapers, lip stick, other makeup, and other items of no importance. By the time she raised an alarm and began searching for him, he had already disappeared.

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, a request to which he complied. He said he has since not been able to make contact with the individual on the telephone number he had supplied.

That aside, just one week ago, Daniel Ali managed to extract $30,000 from a vendor whom he promised to sell an S6 I-Phone under an agreed installment payment plan. After making the first $30,000 deposit, the vendor could not locate Ali to make the remaining $50,000 payment.

Police are still hunting this individual, who is suspected to be working along with other accomplices who are all suspected to be locals lured unto his illegal bandwagon.