MONTEGO BAY, St James — A $3-million vehicle deal that never quite reached the road continues to wind its way through the St James Parish Court.

Questions over delivery, documentation, and digital communications sit at the centre of a fraudulent conversion case involving a 2018 Toyota Voxy bus.

Mario Clarke is before the court over allegations tied to the transaction, and appeared on Wednesday before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton. He is being represented by attorney-at-law Henry McCurdy, while Tamika Spencer-Anderson is on record for the complainant.

The matter, which centres on claims of fraudulent conversion, was previously mentioned on April 29. At that sitting, McCurdy told the court that delays in progressing the case had been affected by Hurricane Melissa. He also indicated he had been advised that the vehicle was reportedly in Jamaica and would be handed over to the complainant within approximately two weeks.

When the case returned on Wednesday, McCurdy updated the court that he had since made contact with a customs broker and that the process now hinges on the issuance of a Trade Board licence to move the importation forward.

Meanwhile, the court clerk disclosed that a statement from the arresting officer and a functionality certificate relating to WhatsApp exchanges between Clarke and the complainant — communications that form part of the evidentiary trail — remain outstanding.

Judge Fairclough-Hylton extended Clarke’s bail and scheduled the matter for further mention on June 17 when a trial date is expected to be set.

Court documents outline that the complainant made an initial payment of $1.5 million in September 2025 toward the purchase of the Toyota Voxy, followed by a further $1.5 million in October 2025, allegedly routed through a third party to cover shipping and importation costs.

Clarke is said to have acknowledged receipt of the full $3 million. By November 2025 he reportedly informed the complainant that the vehicle had arrived in Jamaica, before later citing an issue that was to be resolved.

Despite repeated attempts to secure either the vehicle, a refund, or clear updates, the complainant was reportedly unsuccessful, prompting a report to the police and Clarke’s subsequent arrest and charge.