Duo charged with stealing veggies, soap powder worth $10,000

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A caterer from central Trinidad has appeared in court with another man charged with stealing over $10,000 worth of vegetables and soap powder from two suppliers.

Dave Maharaj was granted $80,000 in bail when he appeared alongside Keith Fortune during a virtual hearing before Couva Magistrate Christine Charles, yesterday afternoon.

However, Maharaj could not immediately access his bail as he and Fortune still have to appear in court on similar charges over separate incidents, which allegedly occurred in Chaguanas and San Fernando.

They were not called upon to plead to the larceny by trick charges, which were laid indictably.

According to the charges, Maharaj and Fortune are accused of collecting the goods from the suppliers in September and October and leaving without paying for them.

In applying for bail for Maharaj, his attorney Bhimal Maharajh noted that his client had a clean criminal record before being charged with the series of fraud offences.

He also noted that Maharaj suffers from hypertension and chronic psoriasis as he claimed that his client could not spend a prolonged period on remand.

There was no objection from police prosecutors and Charles granted him bail with some conditions including not contacting his alleged victims for the duration of the case.

The duo is expected to reappear before Charles in December.