Fraud Squad still on Marlene’s case

Williams sent a letter to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley indicating that a criminal investigation had been launched into the Calabar Foundation. Newsday understands that the team consists of officers from the Fraud Squad and Anti-Corruption Bureau. Officers from the Police Service’s legal department were up to yesterday in the process of putting together a file to take to the DPP for further instructions.

Sources revealed that Snr Supt Dookhie has a few loose ends to tie up before presenting his final recommendations to DPP Roger Gaspard. Police have seized documents from the Ministry of Community Development where Minister Mc Donald served and have also requested documents from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC). Documents were also seized from a private residence.

Mc Donald, her spouse Michael Carew, his brother Lennox as well as officials of the Ministry of Community Development are expected to be interviewed shortly. Bank records will also be sought.

The Calabar Foundation was incorporated on August 24, 2010.

Cheques were issued by McDonald who was then Minister of Community Development: one on May 12, 2010 and collected on May 12, 2010; another in the sum of $375,000, and the third for $200,000 were issued but the requests were made on April 27 and May 4, 2010.

The cheques were deposited to the Calabar Foundation via a Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (RBTT) account on September 9, 2010.

The money was made available to the Calabar Foundation before the company was incorporated and the cash was supposed to be used to build a community centre in the Laventille area.

No such community centre was ever built and it remains unclear if the cheques were ever cashed by members of the Calabar Foundation.

Mc Donald has already stated publicly that she has nothing to hide and will cooperate with the investigation.