From Caribbean360

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Friday August 29, 2014, CMC – The Immigration Department has prevented the embattled former Registrar of the High Court, Vanessa Tamara Gibson-Marks from leaving the island for her homeland, less than 24 hours after she was granted bail on theft, abuse of office, and false certification charges.

“The information received is that there is ongoing investigation in which Miss Marks was needed and she was stopped,” Chief Immigration Officer, Stanford Hamilton confirmed.

Marks was granted EC$30,000 (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) bail with one surety when she appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, less than 24-hours after she returned to St. Vincent for the first time since she left on May 21.

The court did not ask her to surrender her travel documents.

“The court granted Miss Marks bail, and there were conditions in relation to the bail that was granted. The issue at hand had nothing to do with the bail which she was granted,” Hamilton told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

“The condition in which she was granted bail was already stated on the bond. That had nothing to do with the issue in which she was stopped.”

Gibson-Marks checked in to travel on a one-way ticket to St. Lucia last Friday, but she was unchecked and her bags removed.

The flight was initially booked by Duane Daniel — one of Gibson-Marks’ lawyers — in Daniel’s name last Thursday.

Gibson-Marks pleaded not guilty to the charges against her and is scheduled to re-appear at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on October 7.

She is also expected in court next month to give cause why she should not be disbarred from practicing law in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

IMAGE: TAMARA GIBSON-MARKS (FILE PHOTO)

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