The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Works Minister Desmond Bannister claimed in court yesterday that he never approved contracts to paint water tanks and buildings belonging to the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) when he was in office.

Mr Bannister, who had responsibility for WSC under the Minnis administration, told the court that to his recollection, neither projects were ever referred to him.

His evidence came during the bribery and fraud trial of Long Island MP Adrian Gibson and five others.

The former deputy prime minister claimed he rarely got involved with awarding contracts and never directed the corporation’s board to refer all contracts above $250k to him.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions and lead prosecutor Cordell Frazier asked Mr Bannister if he was familiar with painting contracts for the corporation’s water tanks.

 He said he was not at the time the work was being done.

“Did you approve the amount of $778,502.69,” asked Ms Frazier, referring to the cost of that project.

Mr Bannister said he did not.

Asked whether he approved the cost of painting works for the E George Moss Building and Somerset House, the former minister said he didn’t recall doing so.

Mr Bannister was also questioned about WSC policies after testifying about receiving an email in 2017 concerning contract approval levels.

When asked if he was aware of the corporation’s policy requiring ministerial approval for contracts awarded over $250k, Mr Bannister said he found out about that after police brought it to his attention during their investigation.

“When you become a minister, you’re given handover notes. In the case of the Ministry of Public Works, those handover notes, you’re supposed to be reading over them and digesting them. I would not have recalled seeing those guidelines in those handover notes,” he said. 

Under cross-examination from Gibson’s attorney Damian Gomez, Mr Bannister said he never asked the board to recommend contracts over $250k to him.

“I never imposed any limits, financial limits on the board,” he said.

He also claimed there were no specific qualifications for contractors hired for painting works and that it was not unusual for companies to subcontract other people.

Mr Gomez questioned Mr Bannister about Mr Gibson’s character.

The witness described him as personable and thorough in his work.

Mr Gibson is charged with Mr Donaldson, Jr, Ms Peaches Farquharson, Rashae Gibson, Joan Knowles and Jerome Missick.

Together, the group face 98 charges, including bribery, fraud, receiving and money laundering. They have denied all of the allegations.

Mr Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducille, KC, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, Raphael Moxey, Christina Galanos, Mr Cargill and Donald Saunders represent the defendants.

Meanwhile, the Crown’s prosecutors are Ms Frazier, Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean and Rashied Edgecombe.