Three of the men charged alongside Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald once again failed to access bail on Tuesday, condemning them to another night in jail.
Michael Carew, 72, Wayne Anthony and Edgar Zephyrine were unable to secure release from prison yesterday afternoon, as their bail applications were not processed late yesterday.
Victor McEachrane, whose wife Cheryl McEachrane stood his bail, was the only one able to secure bail to the sum of $400,000 after their late hearing in the Port-of-Spain Eight Court before Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle on Monday.
McEachrane, of La Florissante in D’Abadie and Sou Sou Lands, Tobago, faces six charges in the matter.
Attorneys for Carew and Wayne Anthony, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder and Frank Peterson respectively noted that the bail processing appeared to be a bit slow as the bailors did their respective checks on the deeds presented to secure bail for the accused.
Carew faced eight charges —five for money laundering and three for conspiracy to defraud the state of T&T. He was placed on $500,000 bail.
Zephyrine, 75, of Flagstaff Hill, St James faced 28 charges — one conspiracy charge and 27 offences of money laundering. He was placed on bail to the sum $1 million. He like McEachrane had attempted to use his wife as a surety, but Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard objected due to her employment at the Ministry of Finance.
Anthony, 66, of Santa Margarita, St. Augustine, faced one charge of money laundering was placed on $100,000 bail.
A few of the friends and family showed up outside the Port-of-Spain Prison on Frederick Street at various points during the day, hopeful that the men would secure release, but as the day went on they left disappointed.
The three men were expected to be moved from the Port-of-Spain prison infirmary to the Maximum Security Prison yesterday.
McDonald, Carew, McEachrane, Anthony and Zephyrine face a total of 49 charges stemming from fraud and money laundering offences committed from 2010 to 2017.
They are expected to reappear in court on September 9.