The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said yesterday officials will be ready to hold a by-election should embattled Long Island MP Adrian Gibson resign his seat in the House of Assembly.

As there has been no indication to date regarding whether the MP will step down, Mr Munroe said Mr Gibson must weigh his sense of duty and honour to make the right decision.

This comes as Mr Gibson will stand trial in reference to numerous charges related to corruption stemming from his time as executive chairman of the Water and Sewerage chairman under the former Minnis administration.

The minister was asked if his ministry stood ready to facilitate a vote, should there be a resignation from Mr Gibson.

“Well a by-election only arises if somebody resigns,” Mr Munroe said. “That would be in the breast of Mr Gibson.”

He went on to note the resignation of an MP in the United Kingdom in May, telling this newspaper: “...That was his sense of honour, his sense of duty. The member for Long Island will have to examine himself to determine what is his sense of honour, what is his sense of duty?

“If he resigns, then of course we would be ready to hold a by-election. The parliamentary registration department will do what is necessary.”

Mr Gibson and six others were arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court earlier this month

Mr Gibson, 37, himself a lawyer, was represented by Attorney Ellsworth Johnson. He was before Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans to face 56 charges.

While Mr Gibson faced 31 of his 56 charges alone, he along with the remaining six accused, faced a combined 101 charges.

Three of the other accused stood before the court in connection with this incident and their relations with Mr Gibson. They were Elwood Donaldson Jr, 54, WSC’s former general manager, Gibson’s cousin, Rashae Gibson 28, as well as his campaign general, Joan Knowles, 56.

The remaining three defendants were Jerome Missick, 54, Tonya Demeritte, 43, and Peaches Farquharson, 39.

These charges, which range from false declaration, bribery, fraud, receiving and money laundering allegedly stem from Gibson’s failure to declare his interest in contracts awarded by WSC.

Mr Gibson is alleged to have illicitly gained more than $1m from contracts granted to Elite Maintenance and Baha Bay. It is alleged that he gained a financial advantage of a collective $1,279,532.97 after he received a variety of payments in cheques and wire transfers.

Despite the allegations the Free National Movement has said the political organisation supports the MP.