The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A SENIOR employee at the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) fiercely defended her professional credentials during the criminal trial of Adrian Gibson and others yesterday, pushing back against what she described as attempts to discredit her work and portray her as unqualified.

Dian Saunders-Adderley, an assistant general manager at WSC, made the comments in response to questions from defence attorney Damian Gomez, KC, under continued cross-examination.

Mrs Saunders-Adderley, who conducted audits of vendors contracted by WSC during the Minnis administration, previously testified that she was not a certified internal auditor when she prepared a key audit report central to the case.

She told the court earlier this week that although she has been a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) since 2022, her membership did not include certification at the time.

Under questioning yesterday, she noted that not everyone in WSC’s internal control and compliance division was a certified auditor.

When asked whether she was aware that then-General Manager Elwood Donaldson—one of the defendants—held a master’s degree in internal auditing, Mrs Saunders-Adderley said she was not.

Mr Gomez suggested that she only became a student member of the IIA in October 2022 as a strategic move tied to the trial.

The witness denied this and became increasingly defensive, telling the court it was unfair to make inferences that painted her as “some student child” who was unqualified and unprofessional.

“You were the one who said you became a member in 2022,” Gomez countered.

The witness responded that her membership was for the purpose of sitting the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam, which was a requirement to join the professional body.

“I put it to you that you, in fact, sought to mislead this court about when you became a certified internal auditor,” Mr Gomez charged.

Mrs Saunders-Adderley firmly denied the accusation.

The defense further suggested that her alleged deception was a convenient attempt to aid the prosecution and salvage her credibility.

However the witness hit back, insisting her credibility was in tact and didn’t need salvaging.

Mr Gomez also probed her professional experience as a technical auditor—a title Mrs Saunders-Adderley said she held at WSC.

Asked to explain how a technical auditor documents their findings, Mrs Saunders-Adderley detailed the process, noting that technical auditing involves two key components: identifying the actions taken and analysing the outcomes.

She also cited examples of alleged irregularities uncovered during her audits, using the purchase of a Bible as a reference point.

She explained that her role involved investigating who initiated such requests, the reasons behind them, whether the individuals had proper authorisation, and if the purchases were justified or potentially improper.

Mr Gomez then questioned Mrs Saunders-Adderley about her initial hiring at WSC, suggesting she was originally employed as an engineer, a fact she confirmed.

“Would you agree that engineering duties and auditing duties are not the same thing,” he asked.

The witness disagreed with suggestions that her engineering background was unrelated to auditing.

When asked whether a technical auditor is typically expected to hold engineering credentials or other specialised expertise, the witness disagreed, saying it was unreasonable to require auditors to be engineers, lawyers, and project managers all at once.

She emphasised that while her own credentials were broad, she did not believe such qualifications should be imposed on all technical auditors.

“Milady, I didn’t get all this education foolishly,” she added. “I have to fight to survive. That’s why I can do so many things.”

She also testified that she had been “bruised, battered, and threatened” and denied reimbursements as a result of her integrity and commitment to upholding internal auditing standards.

Gibson, a former executive chairman of WSC, has been on trial since November 2023, along with Elwood Donaldson Jr, former general manager Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson, and Jerome Missick. The charges involve contracts awarded during Gibson’s tenure.

The defence team includes Damian Gomez KC, Murrio Ducille KC, Geoffrey Farquharson, Raphael Moxey, Ian Cargill, Bryan Bastian, and Ryan Eve. Representing the Crown are Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier, Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean, and Rashied Edgecombe.