Bank teller charged for wasting police time after kidnap claim

3343684

A bank teller has admitted that she lied to the police about being kidnapped by two men while travelling to work on Tuesday.

Samantha Mohammed, 29, was charged with wasteful employment of the police’s time and pleaded guilty before Princes Town Second Court Magistrate Margaret Alert in a virtual appearance yesterday.

Mohammed told the court that she was under stress.

Prosecutor Sgt Rodney Gangoo told the court that Mohammed walked into the Moruga Police Station around 8.20 am on Tuesday and reported that earlier that morning, at around 6 o’clock, she boarded a silver Nissan Tiida at the Princes Town Taxi Stand in Rio Claro that had one other passenger in the front seat.

She reported that on reaching the San Pedro area, the passenger told her to lie on the floor and keep her head down and he grabbed her handbag with her IPhone 7, $25 and other personal items. She said they drove for an hour until the driver got a phone call and stopped the car, and then both men came out.

Mohammed told the police that she grabbed her bag, ran out of the vehicle and flagged down a passing car that dropped her off at a gas station in Moruga.

However, after reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing several people, PC Mahabir subsequently went to her home and arrested her, after they informed her that she had made a false report. The woman then allegedly admitted to making a false report to the police.

She was then charged.

The magistrate ordered a probation officer’s report and granted Mohammed $25,000 own bail.

The matter was adjourned to November 18. (SW)