The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE brother of Long Island MP Adrian Gibson testified yesterday that he did not know about the day-to-day operations or financial transactions of a company for which Mr Gibson allegedly asked him to be a shareholder.

Lanardo Gibson made the revelation while testifying about his involvement with Edwaleno Holdings Limited, a company incorporated in 2017.

The witness claimed he became a shareholder of Edwaleno Holdings after his brother, Mr Gibson, asked him to join the company with their cousin, Rashae Gibson, who is also on trial.

Mr Gibson allegedly told him the company was to hold his assets and that Alexandria Mackey, his ex-fiance, would communicate with him about the company.

The witness said he wondered why his brother asked him to become involved with the company since he had other siblings but was prevented from getting further details.

When acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier questioned him about his communications with Mrs Mackey, Lanardo said she called him asking for his identification and to sign paperwork.

He said her constant requests for his identification and signatures annoyed him.

When Mr Gibson’s attorney, Damian Gomez, KC, asked him if Mrs Mackey told him why she needed the signatures, he said she told him his brother needed them.

Lanardo recalled that his brother once called him, asking why he was giving Mrs Mackey a hard time.

“I would say she’s annoying, and he would just say ‘just do it for me’, and then I would just go and do it,” he said.

Documents with his signature on Edwaleno Holdings Limited’s registration and conveyances between the company and Venice Bay were shown to him in court.

“Did you as a shareholder pay Venice Bay Holdings Ltd $150,000 for this property?” Ms Frazier asked him. No, he said.

He also claimed he never received a conveyance in respect to the property.

When asked if he ever demanded money to sign the documents, he said yes.

He said he told Mrs Mackey he was unsure why he needed to sign the documents because it didn’t benefit him.

“I told her I’m not being paid for this,” he said. “I don’t know anything about this.”

“And I’m not being compensated.”

Lanardo said he eventually told Mrs Mackey he wanted his name off and relayed the same message to his brother.

“I told him to take it off, and I would’ve trusted that he took it off when I told him to take it off,” he testified.

When asked about his personal relationship with Mr Gibson, Lanardo said the two were not close.

He also told jurors that he never received money from his brother during his tenure as executive chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC).

The witness was also questioned about his arrest in connection to the case. He said he was interviewed by police twice.

When Murrio Ducille, KC, asked if he was pressured to give statements to police, Lanardo said he was only pressured to state the truth.

Mr Gibson is facing charges concerning his tenure as WSC executive chairman 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 Mr Elwood Donaldson, Jr, former WSC’s general manager, Rashae Gibson, his cousin, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick.

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

In addition to Ms Frazier, the Crown’s lawyers include Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean and Rashied Edgecombe.