The Tribune

AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS STORY CAN BE READ HERE

2.50pm UPDATE: Shane Gibson has been granted $40,000 bail in the Supreme Court. He is due to return to court on September 19th for a status hearing.

2.35pm UPDATE: Shane Gibson has been charged with 36 counts in total: 1 of misconduct in public office, 16 counts of bribery, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit extortion and 15 counts of extortion - all of these concerned with Jonathan Ash. He will now go to the Supreme Court to apply for bail.

1.40pm UPDATE: Shane Gibson was brought to court this afternoon and was greeted by supporters. More news to come.

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson was taken into police custody yesterday afternoon, after voluntarily presenting himself to the Central Detective Unit to assist officers with an ongoing investigation, The Tribune understands.

Mr Gibson was expected to be held overnight and a decision should be made by noon today as to whether he will be released or arraigned in court in relation to the investigation, according to attorney Wayne Munroe, QC.

Mr Munroe, who said he is one of Mr Gibson’s lawyers, confirmed the former member of Parliament for Golden Gates was being questioned by members of the Anti-Corruption Unit around 9.30 am in relation to Mr Gibson’s time serving as hurricane czar after the passage of Hurricane Matthew.

“Knowing these folk, I figured they were going to keep him overnight (Wednesday),” Mr Munroe told The Tribune. “I am not sure why he is being questioned. I am told it has to do with his time dealing with the hurricane. What I do know is, if you are going to question someone who was in charge of a ministry, you should at least let them know so they could get the records they need to assist you.

“I do not think it has anything to do with the National Insurance Board because it is run by an executive chairman, so I imagine it would be from his time as the hurricane czar because you have people doing all sorts of shenanigans during a hurricane.

“I mean if you don’t tell me the scope of (what) the investigations is about, you are not serious about the investigation. These people will do what they will do and all we can do is prepare. I do not know why these men keep going to the police voluntarily, they would have to come and pick me up,” Mr Munroe added.

Lawyer Anthony McKinney, who accompanied Mr Gibson to CDU yesterday morning, said police questioned Mr Gibson for several hours before making the decision to keep him for a longer period.

“He (Mr Gibson) was invited to go to CDU and we did go down as requested,” Mr McKinney told the media.

“He has been interviewed, the interview is completed, he is being kept and whatever happens next is up to the police department.”

Mr Gibson is the fourth member of the former Christie administration to be questioned by police since the May 10 general election.

Two others, former PLP Senator Frank Smith and former Minister of the Environment Ken Dorsett, have been arraigned in Magistrate’s Court for separate matters.

Former Deputy Speaker of the House Dion Smith was also questioned by police and held overnight in late May in connection with an alleged theft probe at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation, however he was released without charge.

Police later said they had no evidence of wrongdoing in that matter. Mr Smith was executive chairman of BAIC at the time.