Saint Lucian attorney-at-law Tamara Gibson-Marks has resigned as registrar of the St. Vincent High Court. Reports to the STAR indicate she was asked to quit by St. Vincent’s attorney general Judith Jones-Morgan. Tamara Gibson-Marks, who is married to high profile Vincentian attorney Ronald “Ronnie” Marks (a former senator in Ralph Gonsalves Unity Labour Party administration) had held her job since 2008.
On Tuesday, the STAR spoke to Cyp Neehall, Editor of The Vincentian, for some clarity on the still fuzzy issue. After confirming Gibson-Marks’ resignation, Neehall said indications were that her decision may have been based on the advice of the island’s prime minister.
Said Neehall: “In a statement to reporters the prime minister also revealed the attorney general, the police commissioner and the director of audit were all engaged in an investigation of matters at the registry.”
He added: “Notice that the prime minister did not say the registrar was under investigation, only the registry. People are free to make of that what they wish.”
The STAR also learned that Gibson-Marks’ resignation came just one day after a meeting with the attorney general on Thursday, May 22.
St. Vincent’s I Witness-News featured the following by the Vincentian prime minister: “I have been advised that the attorney general requested a meeting with her [Marks], as a consequence of which the attorney general either requested or demanded—I wasn’t present—her resignation.” Gonsalves is further quoted as saying: “The Honorable Attorney General spoke to me about the meeting which she had, but I am not at liberty to speak about the content of what the attorney general told me about that meeting.”
A source told the STAR that Gibson-Marks’ resignation may be related to registry funds. Neehall confirmed he had heard about that. “I’m sure you have heard about an account below the line, right? Well, apparently there was such an account at the registry and from my understanding there is an on-going investigation in relation to it.” As to the contents of the account, Neehall said it could have been near EC$100,000.
Neehall revealed that all efforts by his newspaper to contact Gibson-Marks or her husband for comment have so far proven futile.
“From all we hear,” he said, “she may have left the country. But no one at the attorney general’s office is prepared to say if she is off-island or whether her movements had been restricted.” Asked to comment on her whereabouts, Gonsalves reportedly said: “The point about it is this: Mrs. Marks is a judicial officer. Mrs. Marks has resigned. There are three important offices of the state: the Honourable Attorney General’s office, the Office of the Commissioner of Police, and the Director of Audit are actively engaged in certain matters and I believe in giving the institutions of the state an opportunity to do their work in the swiftest possible way, and to do their work efficaciously. I expect there are other authorities who would be engaged by the Honorable Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police.” Meanwhile, St. Vincent’s Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace as called on the government to issue a related official statement.
“It is a very sensitive post,” Eustace said during his regular radio program. “It has to do with our courts and it should be in everybody’s mind what the situation really is.”
“I don’t want to speculate. I believe it is the responsibility of the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, specifically the prime minister in his capacity as Minister of Legal Affairs, to say to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines what in fact happened.”
Meanwhile radio shows in St. Vincent have been inundated by concerned citizens seeking clarification of the issue.
Marks is the daughter of RCI owner Secra Gibson.
If it is determined that she misappropriated this money then we will see how complicit the state is in this saga if she is not brought to justice. She should also lose her license to practice. I will not bet the house on it she will benefit from the close proximty to the political fraternity
Guilty or innocent, this young lady is toast.Talk shows here in SVG are frying, stewing and barbecuing this lady alive. Her understudies have come out to say that this has been going for years and years. What really hurt this young lady too is the lifestyle – big time vehicle, latest fashion, high time life and now everyone links it to this alleged theft. I am vinci and I love lucians however, I could tell you this has tarnished the reputation of Lucians bigtime. SAD
@Why? St. Lucia is the origin of the crooks society but we have a better name for it, BORBORLIST. This word seems to come from when we were babies and wanted more borbor milk, our thirst for breast milk left us hungry for the easy life, hence we have no problem in being serial crooks or borborlistas. The solution is to always be aware of your land, money and spouse when St. Lucians are near by.
Jesse Jackson Jr and Sandra Jackson all over again. THE SHAME OF IT !! Lucian women just love money.( Mi ! I have to hide it well or I will never have) I don’t know what’s with them and goverment monies when placed in power ?? The other day you had one in The New York Consulate who think she had arrived and she was now Sarah Jessica Parker and she wanted to have more shoes than Imelda Marcos. I mean like really !! There are just no honor codes amongst thieves. Oh my, my, my I wonder where she could be ? Like we don’t suspect.
I live in st. vincent and this is more than embarassing. Now everyone is saying st. lucians are crooks over here because of the actions of this woman. People here are saying she used the account over the years to transfer nearly a million into her own accounts. I have seen her so many times here always well dressed, very expensive taste. People can never get enough when they already have it all.
Oh Grasshopper you too have seen the light; it is what it is . Some of us just live in constant denial and rather be a Jayson Blair and “TIDY UP” the issues to suit there own patriotic preservations. Unfortunately that does not work in this day and age when we all have instant access to keyboards and a mouse ,all the Myspace and Instagrams in between. Oh well, when will they learn from the Great Gil Noble and tell it like it is.