This is why the people should not vote for the PPP/C.

Victim wants investigation of Freedom House JP in bogus car sale
July 11, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under News
 

Babita Ramnarine and husband, Sewchand Dhunmmum want an investigation launched into the activities of a Justice of the Peace (JP) whom they say caused them to lose their recently purchased motorcar. The couple says that the JP, based at Freedom House on Robb Street, endorsed false documentation which purported that the couple had sold their hire car, HC 1339.


Babita Ramnarine and Sewchand Dhunmmum leave Freedom House after one of their numerous visits last month.

As a result, the couple says they have been plunged into debt. The vehicle was confiscated by the car dealership. Ramnarine and her husband are now facing financial difficulty at home. The couple lives at Lot 876 Belle West Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara. The two explained that since Dhunmmum was injured in an armed robbery years ago, he is unable to perform tedious tasks. The family had finally gathered enough money last August and bought a vehicle which he worked as a taxi to support the family. Sometime after the car was purchased, Ramnarine said that it was hijacked while she and daughter were inside. The assailant took to them to East Bank Demerara, but then released them unharmed. After earnest searches, the vehicle was recovered within days in the yard of a gentleman living at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara.

Reports were made to the police, the man was detained and the car was returned. Days following this, the couple said they were summoned to the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) at Eve Leary only to learn that the man was claiming that the couple had sold him the vehicle. To prove that they were the original vehicle owners, Ramnarine said they presented to the police the registration on request. The officer took the document to another room, returned it and told them to come back to OPR the following day.
When they returned, Ramnarine said to their surprise the alleged car thief had documents purporting that they had indeed sold their car. The JP’s signature and signatures purporting to be that of the couple were on the document. The matter was eventually taken to court since the police said they could not ascertain to whom the car really belonged.

The court ruled that the Belle West couple be given the car, but that was the start of their problems Ramnarine said. They are several months behind on car payments since the police kept the car during the court matter. The car dealership will not return the vehicle unless they clear their arrears. Ramnarine said that when confronted, the JP promised to pay off the car arrears, but fooled them by telling them to go back to OPR where he would bring the money. Instead, Ramnarine alleges, she and her husband were ordered at OPR, to sign a document saying that the JP owed them no money and that they would not go to the media with the matter. She said the document was never signed but they embarked on a quest for justice. Despite reports of the hijacking and false documents, Ramnarine said the police never launched an investigation.

For more than a month now, the couple has been trying to get the President’s attention but to no avail. Kaieteur News was told by the President’s secretary that he was engaged, but that he knew about that matter, and planned to look into it. Ramnarine said that even the ORP has offered no assistance into the matter. When Kaieteur News spoke to the head of the agency, Mohamed Jameer, last month he said he was aware of the matter and that the police had sent the matter to the court because they did not know who owned the car. When asked about investigations into fraud and kidnapping, he said the police had no such report.

So far, the couple has sought the advice of Attorney-at-law Khemraj Ramjattan who told Kaieteur News that the police are at fault for not following up the criminal matter of fraud and hijacking. If the car was found at the man’s home, they had to find out how he got it, Ramjattan said.  The authenticity and credibility of the JP should also be checked, Ramjattan continued. Ramnarine said that they are hoping that someone will hear their plight and offer some assistance in getting back their vehicle.