Trinidad: Mechanic on fraud charges over claim to Sheldon Sukhdeo’s cars

Sheldon Sukhdeo
Sheldon Sukhdeo

(Trinidad Newsday) A Felicity mechanic who allegedly tried to steal two cars from murdered kidnap victim Sheldon Sukhdeo has appeared before a Chaguanas magistrate charged with two counts of uttering a forged document.

The accused, who lives at Burnette Street in Petersfield, appeared before magistrate Christine Charles in the first court, where he faced an additional charge of wasteful employment of police time. All charges laid by WPC Alicia Joseph were indictable, so the accused was not called upon to plead.

Police are contending that Sukhdeo, 32, the owner of Sheldon’s Auto in Chaguanas, took the two cars to the mechanic last year for repairs. After he died, relatives went to collect the cars, but were told Sukhdeo had sold them to the mechanic, who produced documents which allegedly turned out to be forged.

A report was made to Chaguanas CID and police launched an investigation which led to his arrest.

He told police he also works as a marriage counsellor.

Yesterday the magistrate granted him $80,000 bail and adjourned the case to June 25.

On December 16, gunmen snatched Sukhdeo from a BMW on the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Claxton Bay. His kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of $2 million. Relatives later paid $300,000.

On January 22, police found Sukhdeo’s decomposing body in a forested area at Las Lomas No 2. He had been shot in the chest.

Last year on March 26, his elder brother Sheron, 33, a real-estate and car dealer, was shot and killed near the home of relatives in Charlieville, Chaguanas. Sheron owned Sheron’s Auto in Chaguanas.