(Trinidad Guardian) UNC Councillor Anil Maharaj was granted $130,000 bail when he appeared virtually before the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon charged with one count of Misbehaviour in Public Office.
Maharaj, the UNC Councillor for Cumuto/Tamana, appeared before Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor. The matter was transferred to the Sangre Grande Magistrates’ Court and postponed to August 4th, 2021. Maharaj was ordered to surrender his passport to the Court Registrar at the Sangre Grande Magistrates’ Court and have no contact with the witness. He also has to report to the Sangre Grande Police Station between 6 am and 6 pm every Wednesday.
According to police reports, Maharaj was arrested yesterday by a team of officers from the AntiCorruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB). The arrest followed a meeting between officers of the ACIB and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC, who gave the advice to charge Maharaj with one count of misbehaviour in public office. It is alleged that between January 1st and June 30th, 2021, Maharaj demanded the sum of $15,000 from a contractor at the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. Maharaj is the Chairman of the Finance Committee at the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.
