The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 39-year-old woman was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court yesterday faced with 40 criminal charges for the alleged theft and subsequent laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars while serving as an employee at The College of the Bahamas.

Chimeka Gibbs appeared before Magistrate Constance Delancy facing 20 counts of falsification of accounts, 16 counts of stealing by reason of employment, and four counts of laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct for her alleged actions between March 2008 and October 2015 as an employee at COB.

It is alleged that Gibbs stole over $500,000 worth of funds from COB by reason of her employment at the institution. It is also alleged that she falsified numerous COB direct deposit files, the result of which purported to show that she was entitled to over $200,000 in salary payments.

It is also alleged that she laundered over $800,000 worth of funds to various local bank accounts – FirstCaribbean, Commonwealth Bank, RBC Finco and Scotiabank – between 2008 and 2015. According to court documents, Gibbs served as both a senior clerk and a human resources assistant at the institution.

Gibbs was not required to enter a plea for the charges. Bail was not granted and she was put on remand at the Department of Correctional Services.

The matter was adjourned to August 4 for the service of a voluntary bill of indictment.