HALIFAX - A disabled man and his mother say they never told the NDP in Nova Scotia of their allegation a member of the legislature used the man's credit card without permission to pay for online gambling.

Scott Marshall, a paraplegic with cerebral palsy, said in an interview that Trevor Zinck admitted in 2007 that he spent about $10,000 from the credit card when he was Marshall's caregiver.

Zinck could not be reached for comment on the allegation that first surfaced publicly Thursday.

Marshall said Friday he had lent Zinck the credit card when the politician had asked to borrow $100. He said they'd been friends for a long time, and he trusted Zinck, but he didn't realize that it would be used for gambling.

"I opened my credit card statement and it was up very high and I asked him (Zinck) how he could do that when I had the card in my hands, and he said he remembered the card number," said Marshall.

Marshall said he asked Zinck why the debt was so high.

"He just said 'I was gambling.' "

Zinck didn't return calls from The Canadian Press on Friday and nobody answered the door at his residence.

Marshall said he had attempted to keep the matter secret but decided to tell his story after CBC News contacted his mother, Helena MacLeod.

"I've never spoken to anybody who was involved in the party," he said.

"The only person I know from the party is Trevor."

MacLeod said she had sent a letter to Zinck last summer, shortly after he was re-elected as the member for the riding of Dartmouth North. She also said she hadn't informed the political party of her son's claim.

Zinck was recently suspended from the NDP caucus and sits in the legislature as an Independent. The NDP announced they were suspending Zinck, who was first elected in 2006, because it lost trust in his conduct after he had been reimbursed for unpaid bills in his constituency office.

The politician said he'd been late in paying constituency office bills for electricity, telephone and Internet because of a turnover in his office staff and because he had to assist in the care of his father, who required open heart surgery in the fall. Zinck has also told the CBC and CTV he was drinking more and developing an online gambling problem.

Premier Darrell Dexter has said the party became aware of the unpaid constituency expenses last fall and had sent a party official to Zinck's office to look into the matter.

A spokesman for Dexter said Friday the premier's office only became aware of Marshall's allegation when it was broadcast on CBC television on Thursday evening.

"I can tell you the premier's office had no previous knowledge of this allegation whatsoever," said Shawn Fuller, the premier's communications director.

Marshall said he has received a phone call from Zinck after the CBC story on Thursday night.

"He said, 'I heard your mother has been talking to the media. Don't make a phone call. Don't worry about it, I have to go take care of it,' " said Marshall.

Marshall said on some months Zinck would provide a payment that would help cover the interest on the card, but there were occasions when it wasn't sufficient.

The 40-year-old man says that he remains deeply anxious about his debt.

"I'm on social assistance and I can't afford to make payments," he said.

Marshall said Zinck still owes him about $7,600.