McDonald's lawyer upset over how police treated her

PAMELA Elder, SC, attorney for Port of Spain South MP Marlene McDonald, was upset that McDonald could not be released from police custody on Sunday night.

Elder expressed her concern to reporters outside the St Clair Medical Centre, where McDonald was warded earlier today for an undisclosed illness.

McDonald and her common-law husband Michael Carew were arrested last Thursday as part of an ongoing police investigation into allegations of corruption and subsequently charged. They were due to appear in court yesterday morning. Three other people have been charged along with McDonald and Carew.

Elder said everything was in place for bail to be secured for McDonald on Sunday night. This would have allowed her to be released from the St Joseph Police Station, where she was being detained.

But Elder said this did not happen.

"The reason given by police officers was that they had not been able to process the other accused," she explained.

"Therefore, although she had been charged, she was forced to remain in police custody," Elder said.

She did not disclose the nature of McDonald's illness, saying this was a private matter which should be respected. But she said, "When one considers how long she has been in custody, it is not surprising that she has ended up here this morning."

McDonald was hospitalised at St Clair last July with pneumonia.

Since McDonald's arrest last Thursday. Elder said, police had told the former minister "there were reasonable grounds to suspect that she had committed certain offences."

Elder wondered, "If the police have reasonable grounds to suspect, they why wait so long to charge?"

She also wondered why McDonald was not released on bail and allowed to attend court yesterday.

Elder could not say when McDonald would be able to appear in court.

"She is warded. It's up to the doctors," she said.

Asked if she would write to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith about the treatment McDonald received from the police, Elder replied " I will do whatever is necessary, because what has happened here should never have happened.

The Prime Minister revoked McDonald's appointment as public administration minister on Sunday.