Shane Gibson outside court in 2018.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DAMIAN Gomez, QC, said Police Commissioner Paul Rolle told Shane Gibson in a meeting on Friday that the Royal Bahamas Police Force will investigate Superintendent Debra Thompson’s actions related to the former minister’s bribery trial.
Mr Gibson was acquitted in November 2019 of 15 counts of bribery after being accused of soliciting and accepting thousands of dollars from Jonathan Ash to expedite payments the government owed the contractor.
During the trial, Justice Indra Charles criticised Superintendent Thompson after the officer admitted to bringing key witnesses together to discuss evidence and to bring their statements in alignment.
Justice Charles wrote: “Unkind as it may be, ASP Thompson struck me as an officer with very little investigative skills despite her impressive rank in the RBPF. I say this because prosecution witnesses should not be brought together to discuss their evidence, exchange their account and decide as to what to say and what they should omit to say in their statements and evidence.”
Mr Gibson has been urging the RBPF to investigate the matter since at least February 7, 2020 when he sent a letter to the Complaints and Corruption Unit, requesting disciplinary proceedings be launched.
He sent at least three other letters to Commissioner Rolle, but did not receive a response until now.
National Security Minister Wayne Munroe expressed doubt last week on whether the police force could investigate Superintendent Thompson, saying she is a gazetted officer. He nonetheless said he indicated to the Commissioner that “he might want to give Mr Gibson the courtesy of a reply to his letter,” the last of which was sent on September 22.
Friday’s meeting included Mr Gibson, Commissioner Rolle, Assistant Commissioner of Police Craig Stubbs and Owen Wells, one of Mr Gibson’s lawyers, The Tribune was told.
According to Mr Wells, ACP Stubbs will head the investigation. Mr Wells said they were asked to further detail their complaints in a letter.
“We were told that once the investigation is complete, the recommendations would be sent to the Police Service Commission,” Mr Wells said.
Despite the criticism she received during Mr Gibson’s trial, Superintendent Thompson was promoted from assistant superintendent last year.
Yesterday, Mr Gomez, former minister of state for legal affairs, said he is “not moved one way or the next” by the latest developments in the case.
“This should have happened ages ago and really and truly the prosecution ought to never have proceeded,” he said.
Comments
Topdude 3 years ago
This is tantamount to being wrong and strong. As it were Gibson was able to beat the rap by the skin of his teeth. Now, he wants to go after the legal system. Is this the kind of reaction we will see from the PLP? Who knows the next thing will be Nygard suing the victims of his perversion saying that he was nice to them.
ThisIsOurs 3 years ago
Wrong. The unfortunate thing here is it may look like victimization to some but Justice Charles summed it up perfectly
"Unkind as it may be, ASP Thompson struck me as an officer with very little investigative skills despite her impressive rank in the RBPF. I say this because prosecution witnesses should not be brought together to discuss their evidence, exchange their account and decide as to what to say and what they should omit to say in their statements and evidence.”
Topdude 3 years ago
You have the temerity to try to defend a crook. The fact that the police officer made a mistake in trying to line up all of the ducks, which is the way she was trained, does not reduce the fact that Gibson solicited, received and enjoyed using his office to extort funds from a beholden public. It is most unfortunate that you are missing the point of his arrest. And now you want to put him a position where the range and depth of his bribes soliciting will increase. Come on. Get serious, get ethical and show us someone who is not dishonest.
ThisIsOurs 3 years ago
temerity? Is that like testicular fortitude? I wan get it right.
"Get ethical"?
ROTFL someone please get @Top their PTSD medication. And some glasses. Cuz I dont think I mentioned Gibson once. I quoted the JUSTICE
"Unkind as it may be, ASP Thompson struck me as an officer with very little investigative skills despite her impressive rank in the RBPF."
mandela 3 years ago
She needs to go into retirement, she has shown that she is a danger to anyone that gets in her way, she will lock a citizen up for just looking at her, and when she is finished concocting and synchronizing her stories, a person could end up with 20 odd charges against them. It is so ironic that in this gang RBPF a member is elevated, promoted for wrongdoing, and the other gang member gets sent to jail.
tribanon 3 years ago
The new swindling game in town by the corrupt political elite, whether they be of the PLP or FNM flavour, is to get rich quick by setting the stage for suing government and then wait for your corrupt political friends to regain control of government so that they can ensure you receive a very favourable court award from the corrupt judiciary they once again control.
Yup, it's the new game in town because it's difficult for the public to perceive or believe that the court system itself would be an all too willing participant in the unjust swindling of Bahamian taxpayers by the most corrupt among the political elite. LOL
licks2 3 years ago
I think the SG needs to "rest his behind". . .but, what the police did to him. . .CANNOT BE LEFT UNDONE!! Here we go again. . .minnis seemed "hell-bent" on sitting on his hands when strong executive action was needed! He was not a bad man, in my estimation. . .just poor PM material!! Incompetence ran high under him. . .he just seem never to act in the best interest of the masses. . .HE ALLOWED THE CHICKENS THEM TO RUN WILD. . .SLEEP WHERE THEY WANT AND LAY EGGS WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE!! SO TO SPEAK!!
Topdude 3 years ago
Mark my words, the Chinese will do good business during his term. Gibson’s ethics are congruent with those of the Chinese telecommunications companies.
Topdude 3 years ago
With this new post he surely will have to share his spoils with other big guys in the PLP who must have lobbied their backsides , literally and figuratively, off for him to get the new position as the new Bag Man for the PLP. Can you imagine Shane Gibson seeing a $100 bill on the ground and passing it by? No Sir/Madam. Every thing about him smells of corruption. And as the saying goes : if it looks stink and smells stink, it is no good.
Sign in to comment
OpenID