The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FORMER College of the Bahamas employee Chimeka Gibbs’ appeal of her conviction for stealing $700,000 from the tertiary institution over a seven-year period was put off by almost four months yesterday due to an issue with the trial transcripts.

The appellate tribunal of President Sir Hartman Longley and Justices Sir Michael Barnett and Milton Evans adjourned the matter to July 2 after revelations that her legal team is currently confirming whether it has received all of the trial transcripts. Gibbs, pictured right, who is serving time in prison for her actions, remains in custody until then.

In April 2018, Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson sentenced the 40-year-old to 15 years in prison—nine years for the 16 counts of falsification of accounts and 15 years for the eight counts of stealing by reason of employment.

The sentences relative to the separate charges are to run concurrently, making for 15 years total.

She was unanimously convicted of the “24 counts of dishonesty”, as Justice Grant-Thompson put it, in February 2018.

At the time, Gibbs was also ordered to pay back the $704,580 she stole from the school within the next five years, via annual installments of $140,916. Failure to do so will result in an additional year in prison, Justice Grant-Thompson said.

The judge also ordered that the $66,369.26 on Gibbs’ various accounts at Scotiabank, FirstCaribbean International Bank and Commonwealth Bank, be forfeited to the Public Treasury.However, the judge said via that forfeiture, Gibbs would have satisfied almost half of the first installment to be repaid, making for a difference of $74,546.74.

The jury was told Gibbs stole over $700,000 from COB by reason of her employment at the institution. The jurors were also told Gibbs falsified numerous COB direct deposit files, the result of which purported to show she was entitled to over $200,000 in salary payments.