Adrian Gibson. Photo: Dante Carrer
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A Supreme Court judge cautioned the press yesterday to report accurate information concerning Adrian Gibson’s corruption trial after deciding not to impose a gag order barring journalists from reporting the case.
Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson spoke to members of the media in her court yesterday after hearing legal arguments on the matter from defence attorneys.
The press was not allowed to sit in on those discussions.
In her ruling, Justice Grant-Thompson declared the trial would remain open and asked journalists to continue to be fair, accurate and balanced in their reporting.
She issued the same advisory for people on social media, warning that failure to do so would prompt a police investigation.
Last week, a new jury was empaneled to hear evidence in the case after a lengthy selection process that dismissed several candidates because of their ties to the accused or witnesses.
The jury of five women and four men was selected months after Justice Grant-Thompson discharged the initial jury when one member admitted to discussing the case out of court and another claimed to know Tanya Demeritte, a witness who took a plea deal last year to avoid prosecution.
Gibson is facing corruption charges in connection with his tenure as executive chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) under the Minnis administration.
The charges stem from Mr Gibson’s alleged failure to declare his interest in contracts awarded by the WSC.
The FNM politician is charged with WSC’s former general manager, Elwood Donaldson, Jr, Rashae Gibson, Gibson’s cousin, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick.
Since the defendants were charged last June, the trial has been delayed several times, mostly because of legal challenges.
Together, the group face 98 charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, fraud, receiving and money laundering.
Damian Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducille, KC, Raphael Moxey, Christina Galanos, Ian Cargill and Donald Saunders represent the defendants.
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