–makes bail despite fleecing unsuspecting client of $8.5M

MICAH Sonaram, of Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday last to answer three fraud-related charges, and was granted bail in the sum of $60,000 after pleading not guilty to them all.
One of the charges is that Sonaram, between Wednesday, December 2 and Friday, December 11, 2020, at Georgetown, fraudulently converted to his own use and benefit the sum of $2 million that was entrusted to him by one Mohamed Ahamad to buy a Doosan excavator for him.
Another charge is that he, between Tuesday, November 24, 2020 and Thursday, January 7, 2021, again fraudulently converted to his own use and benefit the $3 million he was given by the same customer to buy him a CAT Skid-Steer loader.

Then, between Thursday, November 19, 2020, and Tuesday, December 29, 2020, Ahamad again gave Sonaram money, this time $3.5 million to buy him a mini excavator, all this while masquerading as the owner of a company called PARTZONE GY Inc. located at North Road, Lacytown.
The court was told that Sonaram is in the business of importing and selling new, as well as refurbished and used heavy-duty machinery, and that apart from having a physical location from which to operate, he also uses Facebook to promote his business, which is how Ahamad came to know of him and the services he offers. The two would eventually meet face-to-face between Thursday, November 19, 2020, and Thursday, January 7, 2021, and Ahamad would hand over a total of $8.5 million to Sonaram as down payment to commence the process of making the three purchases, on the condition that the machinery in question would arrive here in Guyana and be delivered in 30 days.

To his credit, the court learnt that Sonaram signed and provided Ahamad with receipts for all the money he had collected from him, but unfortunately, he did not deliver on his promise.
When finally, Ahamad smelled the rat, he reportedly demanded that Sonaram refund him all his money, but though agreeing to do so, he never did.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police, and it was not until an investigation was launched that Ahamad learnt who exactly he was dealing with, as not only is Sonaram a repeat offender with a string of offences as long as his arm, but he also has as many as seven other similar matters before the court.
Hearing into the latest of his escapades has been adjourned until Wednesday, March 31.