McDonald Carew Zephyrine Mc Eachrane and Anthony on 4 million Bail in total

Marlene McDonald

Former Minister of Public Administration Marlene McDonald and co accused were yesterday charged and granted Bail of a total of 4 million dollars. McDonald’s bail amounted to two million dollars which was granted in her absence before Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle in the Eighth Port of Spain Magistrates Court.

The hearing began around 3.40 pm and McDonald was not present as she was warded  at the St Clair medical hospital after she complained of feeling unwell on her way to Court yesterday.

Her Attorney Pamela Elder SC petitioned that her client previous to these charges had an unblemished record and has been an MP since 2007. Her common Law husband Michael Carew was granted bail of $500,000.00 Edgar Zephrine $1,000,000.00 , Victor Mc Eachrane $400,000.00 and Wayne Anthony $100,000.00 totaling 4 million in bail altogether.

McDonald is on seven charges, Carew is on eight charges, Zephrine faces 28 charges Victor McEachrane faces five charges and Wayne Anthony is on one charge.

The summary of charges read as follows:

Be­tween No­vem­ber 8, 2007, and De­cem­ber 5, 2013 – Mc­Don­ald, Carew, McEachrane, and Zephyrine al­leged­ly con­spired to de­fraud the state via pay­ments to the Prov­i­dent Foun­da­tion for De­vel­op­ment in the amount of $800,000 Be­tween 31 March 2010 and 10 Sep­tem­ber 2010, Mc­Don­ald, Carew, McEachrane al­leged­ly con­spired to de­fraud the State of T&T of via pay­ments the Cal­abar Foun­da­tion in the amount of $375,000. Ju­ly 14, 2010, Michael Carew and Edgar Zephyrine al­leged­ly re­ceived the sum of $800,000, via a cheque dat­ed April 12, 2010, made payable to The Prov­i­dent Foun­da­tion for De­vel­op­ment.10 Au­gust 2010 Edgar Zephyrine dis­posed $160,000 of gov­ern­ment funds. Sep­tem­ber 9, 2010 Michael Carew and Vic­tor McEachrane re­ceived sums to­talling $575,000 for the Cal­abar Foun­da­tion in the sum of $375,000 and the Gov­ern­ment cheque dat­ed May 12, 2010, and an­oth­er cheque in the sum of $200,000. Au­gust 11, 2017 Michael Carew al­leged­ly re­ceived $1, 896,649.84 via gov­ern­ment cheque. Be­tween Jan­u­ary 13, 2012 and De­cem­ber 5, 2013 Edgar Zephyrine al­leged­ly re­ceived the to­tal sum of $1.2 m in the name of the Prov­i­dent Foun­da­tion for De­vel­op­ment and the Cal­abar Foun­da­tion through a se­ries of bank withdrawls.

Yesterday Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley having been reliably informed of the impending charges advised Her Excellency The President to revoke McDonald’s appointment.