Man sold car he was given to drive – court hears

A man who allegedly sold a woman’s car which was given to him to drive and kept the money for himself was yesterday granted $50,000 bail by Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.

Mohamed Abdulla, 31, of 319 East Street, North Cummingsburg pleaded not guilty to the larceny charge at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that between October 1 and 31, 2006, being a bailee of one car in order that he may use and return the vehicle, he fraudulently converted it to his own use. Abdulla is said to have been given the vehicle, licence plate number HB769, by Jean Wintz to use and return it but he converted it to his own benefit. The car belonged to Wintz’s mother Jewanmattie Jankee.

Abdulla’s lawyer Vic Puran argued that his client was given the car by Wintz to sell and she was unhappy with the money he got after he sold the vehicle. He said that his client would be obtaining a loan from the bank to refund Wintz. He asked for reasonable bail since his client who has another matter of a similar nature at the court was already on a substantial amount of bail.

Police prosecutor Maxine Graham had submitted that Jankee was the owner of the vehicle and not Wintz who is her daughter. She added that Jankee wanted a driver for the vehicle and that’s where Abdulla came in. He was to drive the vehicle and pay money at the end of each week to Jankee. He however sold the car. Graham told the magistrate that Abdulla was a repeat offender.

Abdulla was granted bail and he has to return to court on March 9.