By FRANCIS JOSEPH Friday, April 20 2007

A FORMER female murder accused and a relative of missing CEO of Xtra Foods Limited, Vindra Naipaul-Coolman, were held by the police yesterday morning in a sting operation at a bank at Grand Bazaar. Police seized $100,000 which was described as “hush” money.

According to the police, the $100,000 was the third tranche of a $200,000 payout to the woman who pretended to be a state attorney attached to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The reported deal was to hide a file relating to the investigations in relation to the disappearance of Naipaul-Coolman who was snatched outside her Lange Park, Chaguanas, home on December 19, 2006.

Naipaul-Coolman has not been found despite numerous searches by the police in the last four months.

The drama unfolded about three weeks ago when a woman, who identified herself as Alisha Ali, of Diego Martin, telephoned the relative and said she was a state attorney attached to the DPP’s office.

Ali said the file had been passed over by the police to the DPP, and that the relative was going to be charged with Vindra’s disappearance.

The woman, who possessed a fake State attorney identification card, said she was in a position to make the file “disappear” if the relative was prepared to pay $200,000 in “hush” money.

The relative reportedly became frightened and agreed and arrangements were put in place to pay the money. The first payment of $25,000 was paid. Sometime later, another $50,000 was handed over. It was then that the relative became suspicious of the female “lawyer” and spoke to a friend.

The friend contacted a retired senior policeman about the matter. By that time, the woman called again asking for a further $100,000 as she needed to pay off certain people to “lose the file.”

The retired policeman contacted the Fraud Squad and plans were put in place for the sting operation. Vindra’s relative was told to make arrangements for the woman to meet him at the bank at Grand Bazaar.

Officers of the Fraud Squad kept a close watch inside and outside the bank. The woman told the relative that she could not be at the bank before 11 o’clock because she had cases in court to deal with.

At about 11 am yesterday, the smartly-dressed “lawyer” walked into the bank and as she was about to receive the $100,000, she was nabbed by the Fraud Squad officers. The police also questioned Vindra’s relative. Both were taken to the Fraud Squad office in Port-of-Spain for further investigations.

Investigators revealed that the woman will be charged today with at least four counts of corruptly receiving $175,000.

She is expected to appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate later today.