By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A RETIRED police superintendent denied threatening to search the house and "go through" the underwear of Adrian Gibson's relative when the criminal trial of the Long Island MP and others continued in the Supreme Court yesterday.
Bradley Pratt said he “would never do such a thing” when cross-examined by Mr Gibson's lawyer, Damian Gomez, KC.
Mr Pratt was one of several investigators who travelled to Long Island in 2022 to investigate Aaron’s Car Rental –– a company Mr Gibson owned –– and properties allegedly belonging to the former chairman of the Water & Sewerage Corporation (WSC).
He said Deputy Police Commissioner Leamond Deleveaux assembled a team that went to Long Island in April 2022 after authorities received a fraud complaint from the corporation.
He said officers identified properties of interest in Grays, Long Island and Deadman's Cay.
He said several vehicles and ATVs allegedly belonging to Aaron's Car Rental were also identified and photographed during the visit to the island.
He said officers searched the surrounding property near the vehicles and found a house from which the rental company appeared to be operating.
He claimed he met an elderly man there who gave his last name as “Gibson.”
Mr Gomez, cross-examining him, said: “I put it to you that you said to him that you would search his house and go through his underwear."
Mr Pratt responded that this never happened. He said he knew how to conduct himself.
When asked about police interviews with various witnesses and defendants, he denied that they were officially interviewed at the WSC's headquarters.
Several witnesses, including Tanya Demeritte, previously claimed police questioned them at the corporation.
Mr Pratt was shown a 2021 property sale agreement allegedly between Ebenezer Methodist Church and Adrian Gibson.
Asked about the purchase price on the document, he said it was around $525,000.
Mr Gibson is facing money laundering charges concerning his tenure as WSC executive chairman under the Minnis administration.
He is charged with former WSC’s general manager Elwood Donaldson, Jr, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick.
Mr Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducille, KC, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, Raphael Moxey, Ian Cargill and Donald Saunders represent the defendants.
Meanwhile, acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier, Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean and Rashied Edgecombe are the Crown’s prosecutors.
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