Contractor given new date in fraud case

WESTERN BUREAU:

A St James man who is accused of stealing approximately J$3 million, which he was given to purchase a house, will have his case tried on July 16, if he does not repay the money by that date.

Forty-eight-year-old contractor Owen Allen, who is of Barrett Hall in St James, charged with fraudulent conversion, was warned by presiding magistrate Carolyn Tie to make payment before the next court date, when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday.

It is alleged that the female complainant, who was previously residing overseas, sent funds for Allen to buy a house for her. However, on her arrival in Jamaica, the complainant discovered that the house had not been bought, and Allen had reportedly used the money for himself.

A report was made to the police, and Allen was subsequently arrested and charged. However, the court was not told when the money had been sent to the defendant, or when he was arrested.

On Monday, Allen's attorney, Dalton Reid, said his client had made efforts to source money to repay the complainant, but that his efforts had not been successful.

"He (Allen) was banking on getting money from three sources, and those have not come through," attorney Reid told presiding magistrate Carolyn Tie.

The court was also told that the prosecution's file was not ready.

"There are some receipts and signatures that we need to verify (in this case)," said clerk of the court Natalie Malcolm.

"I will set it for one month's time, on July 16," said Tie. "Your bail is extended, and if it is that you do not pay back the money, we are going ahead to trial on that date," she told the defendant, Allen.

- Christopher Thomas