Carpenter charged with fraudulently converting $1.5M

A 31-year-old carpenter was denied bail and remanded to prison on Friday after he pleaded not guilty to fraudulently converting over $1.5 million to his personal use.

Tamesh Rawana of 22 Fifth Street, Alberttown pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

According to the prosecution facts, Rawana was entrusted with $1,444, 000 along with two bales of cigarettes valued at $81, 000 and ten cases of Guinness valued at $50, 000, a total of $1,575,000 on February 27th and 28th by Amjad Rahaman.

He was supposed to sell the items and purchase several drums of diesel with all the cash he had.

Instead, he allegedly converted the money to his own use.

Rawana was represented by attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat who said in his bail application that his client has never been in trouble before and has a wife and two young children.

But Police Prosecutor Sean Blackman objected to bail since the defendant had fled the jurisdiction after he committed the offence. He was therefore deemed a flight risk.

Rawana was subsequently denied bail by Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry and remanded until the 16th of May.