By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
ADRIAN Gibson’s corruption trial began yesterday with Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) executive chairman Sylvanus Petty admitting under cross-examination that his daughter had a contract with the company.
Gibson’s lawyer, Damian Gomez, KC, asked Mr Petty about his daughter’s contract after the executive testified about his involvement in the case. He was the first of four witnesses to take the stand.
When asked if he discouraged the awarding of contracts to people known by the WSC board, Mr Petty said he did not because “everyone in The Bahamas was family”.
The WSC chairman said he did not frown upon nepotism and that he had no problem with the company entering into contracts with political allies so long as they were capable.
Nonetheless, Mr Petty said he tried his best not to get closely involved with the tendering process of contracts.
“It has to be a unanimous decision from the board,” he said. “I have my one vote and that’s it.”
When asked if he ever voted on a contract that his family member had an interest in, Mr Petty replied no.
But when asked about his daughter’s contract with WSC, he claimed that it never came before the corporation’s board because it was “a small contract”.
He said contracts valued under $50,000 are approved by WSC’s general manager, while the WSC’s five-member board usually votes upon contracts worth more $50,000. Contracts over $250,000 has to be approved by the minister, he added.
Mr Gomez suggested that the total value of his daughter’s contract was around $26,000, but Mr Petty could not confirm this, saying it never came to his desk.
Asked if a reporting system was in place to inform the WSC board of lower-valued contracts, Mr Petty said he knew none.
Earlier, Mr Petty testified that he requested an investigation into WSC last April.
The deputy house speaker said he was told that a routine audit was already being conducted at the time. He added that upon completion, the report was forwarded to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and then Works Minister Alfred Sears.
WSC employees, he later added, turned over the file to the police.
The second witness, former acting parliamentary commissioner Lavado Duncanson, testified that he forwarded a copy of Gibson’s nomination papers to police after officers requested them last May.
The third witness, Vernique Johnson, a WSC employee, was unable to continue her testimony after legal issues were raised. She is expected to testify at the next hearing.
The fourth witness, Detective Sergeant Henterro Armbrister recalled that he, acting on instructions, took photographs of various properties, buildings and vehicles in Long Island as well as in New Providence. The photos were shown in the court.
He did not say who the properties or vehicles belonged to.
Acting Director of Public Prosecutors and lead prosecutor Cordell Frazier, in an opening address to the jury, told jurors yesterday that they can expect to hear testimony from several witnesses who will give key evidence against the accused.
She highlighted the brief facts of the Crown’s case, which alleges that Gibson facilitated the awarding of no-bid contracts worth over $200,000 to Elite Maintenance Incorporated and Baha Maintenance and Restoration to paint WSC tanks and do other works.
She said evidence would show Mr Gibson had an interest in the contracts awarded and “accepted” monies from the companies to purchase vehicles and several properties.
The Long Island MP is charged with WSC’s former general manager, Elwood Donaldson, Jr, Rashae Gibson, Gibson’s cousin, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick.
Together, the group face 98 charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, fraud, receiving and money laundering.
Mr Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducille, KC, Bryan Bastian, Raphael Moxey, Christina Galanos, Ian Cargill and Donald Saunders represent the defendants.
Ms Frazier, Karine MacVean, Cashena Thompson are the Crown prosecutors.
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