The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Adrian Gibson reportedly believed his ex-fiancée framed and threw him “under the bus” by blaming alleged criminal activities at the Water and Sewerage Corporation on him.

Mr Gibson’s cousin, Rashae Gibson, said this when Mr Gibson’s lawyer, Damian Gomez, cross-examined her yesterday.

The witness replied “yes” when Mr Gomez said: “I put it to you that Mr Adrian Gibson told you that he felt that Mrs Alexandria Mackey had framed him.”

Ms Gibson had previously testified about a series of text conversations she and Mr Gibson had concerning Ms Mackey and other matters. 

 In one instance, she recalled the Long Island MP telling her to ignore Ms Mackey if she asked about the money he gave her.

 Ms Gibson initially testified that Mr Gibson “gifted” her $10,000 in 2021 and guessed “it was because of what was going on in the media” at the time.

 However, Mr Gomez suggested yesterday that the money was given to help with funeral expenses for her grandmother and aunt, who died days apart in October 2021.

 The witness denied this, but Mr Gomez suggested she was not telling the truth. 

 “No, he did not give me the money specifically for the funeral,” she said.

 Mr Gomez then showed her a series of messages between her and his client.

 Reading the text aloud, Mr Gomez recalled that Mr Gibson asked about her whereabouts, to which she replied that she was going to a funeral.

 “Praying for you my sweet, sweet cousin,” Mr Gibson wrote to her, according to Mr Gomez, who added: “Then over the page, he then says on October 25th, ‘if Alex ever contacts you inquiring about money or how much I gave to you, don’t answer her.”

 Ms Gibson reportedly replied, “What money?”

 Mr Gibson responded: “Yup, good girl.” 

 Mr Gomez read a message where Ms Gibson asked the Long Island MP if the morticians returned the jeeps.

 Regarding the exchanges, Mr Gomez asked: “So, what was this all about if this wasn’t about the funeral?”

 He suggested the context of their conversation was about the money Mr Gibson gave her for “the funeral”.

 However, Ms Gibson refuted this, insisting their discussions about money and the funeral were not related.

 She said that while her cousin did lend her two jeeps for the morticians at her request, he did not give her money specifically for funeral purposes.

 “But, you spent it on the funeral,” Mr Gomez said.

 “I did,” the witness replied.

 When asked if she ever paid Mr Gibson back, she said no. 

 Mr Gomez then asked her if his client helped her with her brother’s funeral.

 The witness said she did not feel comfortable with the questioning about her brother and grandmother.

 “Adrian knows exactly how close all of us were and the situation at hand,” she said, adding this “was extremely painful”.

 She said the case had nothing to do with their family, but was about WSC contracts about which she had no clue. 

 Mr Gibson is facing several 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 Elwood Donaldson Jr, former WSC’s general manager, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick.

 Damian Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducille KC, Ian Cargill, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, Raphael Moxey, represent the defendants.

 Geoffrey Farquharson is the latest attorney to join the case. He represents Mr Gibson. 

 Meanwhile, the Crown’s lawyers include acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier, Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean and Rashied Edgecombe.