NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A lawyer wants the ex-fiance of Adrian Gibson to testify in the trial of his client who is accused of intentional libel against the Long Island MP.
Prosecutors allege that in December 2018 Gregory Miller sent $200 to Gibson’s Royal Bank of Canada account in an attempt to defame the then chairman of the Water & Sewerage Corporation.
Miller’s company, Apex Underground Utilities LTD, had sought contracts related to WSC projects in Long Island and Crooked Island.
Gibson says he believes the money was sent to his account in an attempt to entrap him.
As yesterday’s hearing drew to a close, however, Miller’s lawyer, Ian Cargill, dismissed Gibson’s testimony and emphasized that he had a joint RBC account with his ex-fiance Alexandria Mackey.
“I note for the record, I note that the person who is also a signatory to this account, other than this witness, is not listed as a witness,” Cargill said.
“So all of this is irrelevant. It would’ve been two persons whose name appeared on that account. (He may) not know why the funds is there but the other person may know. So you cannot feel that someone is trying to entrap you when someone else is on the account.
“If you don’t know what the relationship between that person and the other person…all of this is irrelevant. Because the only thing I can now ask is that that person be summonsed to come to court.”
Ferguson-Pratt responded that Cargill’s comments were more appropriate for closing submissions while the prosecutor told him he can seek to summon Mackey if he wants.
Gibson testified that he never did any work for Miller or Apex that would require payment from them.
The chief magistrate pressed him to explain how Miller got his bank account information.
“I am trying to ascertain how would anyone know your bank account information,” she said. “Because if that was so, that means any minute now I could go to Royal Bank and ask anyone to put some money there for me.”
Gibson responded: “I cannot speculate as to the defendant’s thinking about it. I did not invite him to do it. I would be speculating if I answered that question. I can assume that he got it from someone at the bank.”
Miller said the contracts for two projects in Long Island and Crooked Island pertinent to the case were awarded to BHM Company’s LTD.
He said the Caribbean Development Bank sponsored the projects and had the final say on who would get the contracts.
The contract award process, he said, involved an assessment from independent assessors in Jamaica as well as the CDB’s internal team.
He said the WSC board had no veto power over the CDB’s choice.
The trial was adjourned to August 26th when Cargill is expected to cross-examine Gibson.
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