Gibson-Marks
Saint Lucian attorney-at-law Tamara Gibson-Marks was prevented from leaving St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Friday, August 22 by immigration officials.
The former SVG High Court registrar, who is currently facing charges of fraud and financial irregularities, was unchecked 12 minutes before boarding a flight, destined for St. Lucia.
Reports reaching St. Lucia News Online (SNO) indicates that Gibson-Marks checked in to travel on a one-way ticket to St. Lucia last Friday on LIAT flight L310, which was scheduled to depart St. Vincent at 7:15 a.m. Reports are, she was unchecked and her bags removed at 7:03 a.m.
The flight was initially booked by Duane Daniel on Thursday, August 21. This is the same day the Saint Lucian-born attorney appeared in court and was subsequently slapped with three charges. Daniel is one of her lawyers. An extension was requested until 7:10 a.m. on Friday, August 22. On that same morning, a request was made to have the name changed to Gibson.
She turned up at the SVG airport and checked in her luggage. It wasn’t long after, that officials at the airport realised that Gibson-Marks was facing charges for financial irregularities and acted quickly to prevent her from leaving SVG. Immigration informed the attorney that she would not be permitted to join the flight to St. Lucia. She was subsequently unchecked and left the airport.
The former SVG High Court registrar was charged with the theft of EC$21,925 between April 30 and May 21, 2014. She was recently charged with presenting a certificate which was to her own knowledge false, in a material particular to with an order claim 96/1980 on May 17, 2014.
She was also charged with direct abuse of authority in office as registrar of the High Court of SVG and arbitrarily closing account number 800300 at the St. Vincent Co-operative Bank.
Gibson-Marks pleaded not guilty to all charges. She was granted bail in the sum of EC$30,000. She is expected to make another court appearance at Kingstown Magistrate Court on October 7.
While she was not asked to surrender her travel documents, she was placed on a bond.