Former energy minister Eric Williams is shielded by supporters yesterday upon leaving the Port of Spain Magistrates' Court where he appeared on seven counts of corruptly receiving money.
NO PNM officials were in court when former energy minister Eric Williams appeared before a magistrate yesterday charged with corruptly receiving $75,000 from PNM Councillor Dansam Dhansook.
But there was a small group of supporters who shielded the politician from the media as he left the Port of Spain Magistrates' Court.
When Williams surrendered to the Fraud Squad around 8.30 a.m. yesterday he was granted bail in the sum of $350,000 - $50,000 for each of the seven counts of corruptly receiving money.
However, when Williams appeared before Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim at the Port of Spain Fourth (A) Magistrates' Court around 10.25 a.m. his bail was reset at $600,000 to cover the seven charges.
Snr Supt Glenroy Woodley, head of the Fraud Squad, laid the indictable charges against Williams, of 69, Luis Street, Woodbrook, Port of Spain.
Williams was represented by Senior Counsel Desmond Allum and attorney Rajiv Persad while police prosecutor Roodal Harrylal appeared for the State.
Harrylal told the court that Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson had sent a message that a senior attorney would be appointed to the case at the next adjournment date.
As the seven charges were read to Williams, he stood silently and motionless in his black suit in the holding docks.
After the charges were read he was told he was not called upon to plead.
Lee Kim said that she was keeping the matter before her since Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls, who usually hears high profile matters, had his plate filled with cases.
His brother Ernest Williams and mother Edris Todd-Williams were among the handful of family members present in court and in the precinct of the court while arrangements were being made to get the certified deeds to be used to secure bail.
He eventually left court around 2.30 in the afternoon and supporters pushed away photographers and journalists as Williams went to his BMW car, flashed a smile and ventured a wave of the hand before getting in the vehicle.
Dhansook, in an undated letter to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, said he paid bribes to both former works and transport minister Franklin Khan ($120,000) and Williams for work on an oil exploration contract.
Khan is now before the courts on six corruption charges arising from the scandal while Williams tendered his resignation on Sunday night.
Williams will reappear in court on January 19.
(Taken from the Trinidad Express)
