Tropical Battery fraud case stalls
Published:Wednesday | April 3, 2024 | 12:09 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
The trial of four employees accused of defrauding Tropical Battery of $3 million failed to start in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday.
The matter was rescheduled to July 18.
Christopher Robinson, Jamel Reid, Carl Love, and Hartel Morgan, as a result, had their bail extended on charges of larceny as a servant and conspiracy to larceny as a servant.
The allegations are that CCTV captured the men replacing new batteries with used or defective ones on August 8 and 9, 2022.
Reid was reportedly observed on the footage moving the battery from the spent or used section to the new battery stock room, where Robinson reportedly gave him instructions to place the battery.
Love was also reportedly seen taking up a battery and handing it over to a man who did not go through the purchasing process.
It is further alleged that Robinson was similarly seen removing batteries from the spent or used section to the new battery stock room and selling it to a man who did not go through the business' established purchasing process.
ALLEGATIONS
Morgan is also alleged to have been caught on camera selling a battery that did not go through the purchasing process.
The company reportedly launched a probe after its used batteries were stolen and sold to customers without warranty by an outside party.
The accused men were subsequently arrested and charged in September 2022.
Robinson, when cautioned, reportedly said, “Wah dis fah?”
Love reportedly said, “Christopher (Robinson) gave me instruction to take up the batteries.”
Robinson is alleged to have said under caution, “Mr Sloley gave me permission to move the used batteries and put them in the stockroom.”
Attorney-at-law John Jacobs is representing Reid while Althea Grant is appearing for Robinson.
Attorney-at-law Ceejaie Cummings is representing Love, and Annette Henry is representing Morgan.