Customers defrauded of $59,000 by car dealer [1]
Thursday, March 11, 2021 - 18:13
Malia Selupe (32) will be sentenced on April 9 at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on five counts of obtaining by false pretences around $59,000 pa’anga from customers at her car dealer company in Longolongo.
Between 2016-17 the accused operated a car dealer business called 'Tavatu'utolu Motors' registered in June 2016.
She initially defended the charges, however during her trial last month before Lord Chief Justice Whitten QC, Selupe changed her plea from not guilty to guilty to all of the charges.
The Prosecution case was that the acccused from 2016-17 committed these offences on four customers, who paid her money ranging from $20,300 to $9,800 pa'anga to purchase their vehicles from Japan.
The first incident was on May 17, 2016 when the first complainant contacted the accused in relation to buying a vehicle from Japan. The accused was paid $12,000 to order it.
In early 2017, the accused contacted this same complainant and asked for an extra $1,000 to pay custom duties, and she was paid the money.
However, when the complainant followed up with the accused on when she would receive her vehicle, the accused kept telling her that she still waiting for the ship with her truck to arrive.
This deception continued to three other customers.
In March, 2017 the accused was paid $16,800 by a customer who wanted her to order a Nissan Murano. A month later, she received $9,800 from another complainant, who was purchasing a CRV Honda 2003 vehicle.
The biggest amount defrauded was on August 2017, when a different complainant got in touch with the accused via Facebook page to place her car orders.
An agreement was entered with Tavatu'utolu Motors to order two motor vehicles, a one-tonne truck Isuzu Elf and a Nissan Cube car and the complainant made payments totalling $20,300 to the accused.
None of the complainants had received their vehicles/trucks.
The accused, who is on bail, will be sentenced by the Chief Justice.