Marrache brothers granted bail

(Gibraltar Chronicle / Brian Reyes) Chief Justice Anthony Dudley (photo) granted bail on Tuesday to Benjamin and Solomon Marrache who have spent over three months remanded in custody over fraud allegations. The two were bailed on the same terms as Isaac Marrache, a third brother who was granted bail last month. All three face fraud charges. In order to secure their release, Benjamin and Solomon Marrache must each post sureties worth £400,000 and must surrender their travel documents. They must also reside at a specific address. Once the bail is met, it will mean that friends and supporters of the brothers will have put forward a total of £1.2m in sureties, or financial guarantees. Although the money is not actually deposited in court, the guarantors must prove it is available and could stand to lose it should any of the three abscond.>
From the outset Attorney General Ricky Rhoda, QC, had insisted that the brothers represented a flight risk.


But yesterday Chief Justice Anthony Dudley said he had decided to grant bail because there was no hard evidence to support the Crown’s concerns that the brothers would flee the jurisdiction.

Mr Justice Dudley also declined a request from the prosecution to impose a requirement for Benjamin and Solomon Marrache to report weekly to police.

Both men remained in jail last night while arrangements were made to meet the conditions, something that is likely to happen today.

The three Marrache brothers are at the centre of a major investigation into an alleged multi-million pound fraud. All three were declared bankrupt recently.

Prosecutors allege that the brothers defrauded clients of the collapsed law firm Marrache & Co, of which Benjamin and Isaac were partners and Solomon the finance director. Chris Finch appeared for Solomon Marrache and Chris Miles for Benjamin Marrache.

Mr Rhoda was helped by Crown prosecutor Damian Conroy.