A woman, who once owned and operated the Pompano Pharmacy in Tower Isle, St Mary, has gone missing from her fraud trial, last Thursday, November 17.
She is Winsome McFarlane, who is a Jamaican living in the United States. She sold the pharmacy, located next door to Police Area 2 headquarters, years ago.
Ms McFarlane allegedly went missing from the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court during a short break in her fraud trial.
North Coast Times understands that McFarlane walked out of court during the break and later disappeared, leaving court officials, prosecutors and her attorney puzzled.
The court waited for two hours last Thursday, but she did not return.
When the matter was called up in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday, November 18, Parish Judge Simone Wolfe-Reece directed that the warrant for McFarlane’s arrest be stayed until Tuesday, November 22.
The matter will again be mentioned on that date, ahead of the resumption of the trial Thursday. The trial date was also set as it is understood that Judge Wolfe-Reece did not want to hold up the case of the other accused woman in the matter.
That woman is Helen Thoms.
Thoms and McFarlane have each been charged with forgery, uttering forged documents, obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy.
It is alleged that they defrauded the National Health Fund of over $600,000.
The trial started in 2013.
The prosecution has already closed its case and attorneys for both women are expected to make no-case submissions.
Meanwhile, before the case was adjourned last Friday, Judge Wolfe-Reece directed that checks be made with the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) to determine if McFarlane has left the island.
The judge has also given instructions for the police to make checks also at the hospital for the missing woman.
Up to press time on Monday, no information had surfaced about McFarlane’s whereabouts.
