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Court of Appeal dismisses application to prevent key witness testifying

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed an application from Adrian Gibson and his co-defendants seeking to prevent a key witness from testifying in their criminal trial.

Mr Gibson and his co-accused filed an appeal application on March 6, arguing that the witness should not be allowed to give evidence.

However, their appeal was dismissed yesterday after judges said the appellants had "no standing."

The Long Island MP is facing money laundering charges concerning his tenure as the WSC’s executive chairman under the Minnis administration.

The charges stem from Mr Gibson’s alleged failure to declare his interest in contracts awarded by the WSC.

The FNM politician is on trial with Mr Elwood Donaldson, Jr., the former WSC general manager, Peaches Farquharson, Joan Knowles, and Jerome Missick.

The group has been on trial since early November.

More than a dozen people have already testified in the case, and numerous others are expected to do so in the coming months.

Bradley Pratt, a retired police superintendent who helped investigate the case, took the stand yesterday.

Mr Pratt previously testified that he was one of several investigators who travelled to Long Island in 2022 to investigate Aaron’s Car Rental –– a company Mr Gibson owned –– and properties allegedly belonging to the former WSC chairman.

Mr Pratt said he identified several cars and ATVs allegedly belonging to Aaron's Car Rental during their search of the property.

Yesterday, he was shown several documents relating to Aaron’s Car Rental.

When Mr Gibson's lawyer, Damian Gomez, KC, asked him if he had found that a business licence for the car company was issued to Mr Gibson in May 2014, he said “yes”.

He also accepted that Mr Gibson had been approved to operate the rental company in Long Island.

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