The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

LAWYERS for Freddie Solomon Ramsey complied with a judge’s order to surrender his passport to the Supreme Court as a condition of his extended bail while he awaits a hearing that seeks to arrest his convictions on multiple bribery related charges stemming from the Alstom SA/Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) scandal.

Tommel Roker and Bridgette Ward, who represented the 79-year-old insurance executive with Wayne Munroe, QC, walked into the Supreme Court registry on Bank Lane with a passport in hand at 9.41am ahead of Ramsey’s 10am deadline.

An official from Justice Bernard Turner’s court also confirmed that Ramsey’s passport was in fact handed over as requested.

Ramsey must now report to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station on May 6 and May 9, on/or before 6pm until his constitutional motion is heard on May 12.

A jury, on Tuesday evening, returned four not guilty, 14 guilty verdicts some three and a half hours after Justice Turner excused the nine member panel to deliberate on evidence alleging that French company Alstom SA paid more than $300,000 to a BEC board member to influence the awarding of the New Providence Phase Two and Three contracts between 1999 and 2003.

Ramsey was acquitted of conspiracy and bribery charges related to the Phase Two contract but convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and 12 counts of bribery concerning the Phase Three contract.

The bribery allegations are related to a widespread scheme involving tens of millions of dollars in bribes to countries around the world and were brought to light in 2014 in a US Department of Justice report.

Justice Turner, in his summation on Tuesday, noted that former BEC executives confirmed that Ramsey served “as a member of the board from January 1, 1998 through to the end of 2000.”

Garvin Gaskin, acting director of public prosecution, prosecuted the case with the assistance of Cordell Frazier.