T&T: Ex-travel agent to stand trial on fraud charges
(Trinidad Guardian) Former travel agent Vicky Boodram and her estranged husband Ravi Arjoonsingh were yesterday committed to stand trial on 107 fraud charges in the San Fernando High Court.
They, along with Boodram Travel and Ship Ahoy Cruises, were committed by San Fernando Senior Magistrate CherrilAnne Antoine who ruled that the prosecution had made out a prima facie case against them. Boodram was denied bail and advised of her right to apply for the judge in chambers for bail while Arjoonsingh was granted TT$2 million approval bail.
The magistrate explained that bail was denied to Boodram because of the allegation that she escaped lawful custody, the numerous matters and the amount of money the victims lost.
It is alleged that the victims paid close to TT$1.3 million for Caribbean cruises advertised by the company for April and August 2011, but the cruises failed to materialise.
The victims were not refunded.
Boodram owned the company while Arjoosingh was named a director.
They were initially charged with 109 offences but two of the charges were dismissed because the victims had died.
Boodram was also charged with two money laundering offences. Those charges alleged that in September 2010 Boodram purchased a Mercedes Benz for TT$621,042.45 and in October 2010 bought a house and land at Palmiste, San Fernando, for more than $2 million, knowing that the money was derived through fraudulent means.