ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Jun 26 2015 – The former speaker of the Antigua and Barbuda parliament D. Gisele Isaac is due to re-appear in court on October 25 after being charged with conspiring to defraud the Board of Education (BOE).
Isaac, along with popular radio announcer, Algernon “Serpent” Watts, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh on Thursday charged with committing the offences during the period 2013-14.
Isaac, who served as Speaker during the last parliament when the United Progressive Party (UPP) government was in power, has been released on EC$35,000 bail, while Watts’ bail has been set at EC$15,000.
Both were jointly accused of conspiring to defraud the Board of Education of EC$13, 983.97 between March 2013 and March 2014. Isaac, who served as executive secretary of the BOE, received additional charges of fraudulent conversion of the same EC$13, 983.97; fraudulent conversion of another EC$9,000 and corruption.
Watts is accused of failing to pay Education Levy to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue between March 2013 and February 2014, being a person self employed as a debt collection officer at the BOE.
The opposition UPP has termed the charges political and supporters earlier this week staged a protest march outside a police station here in support of Isaac, who is also the UPP chairman.
