By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A SENIOR Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) employee involved in auditing vendors under the Minnis administration revealed yesterday that she did not receive any bids for painting works on the corporation’s buildings during her investigation.
Dian Saunders-Adderley’s comments came as she continued her testimony on the initial findings from the audit, which covered vendors the corporation engaged from 2017 to 2021.
The witness had previously testified about her findings regarding the WSC tank painting project.
Yesterday, her testimony focused on her investigation into painting projects for WSC buildings on University Drive, the E. George Moss Building, and Somerset House.
The assistant general manager confirmed receiving a secretary’s certificate dated June 2020 from the board of directors’ then-secretary.
She read the certificate’s contents in court yesterday, which revealed that the board had resolved to award the contract to Baha Maintenance and Restoration.
The project’s total cost was $251,686.00, she testified.
The witness also read the WSC’s board meeting minutes into evidence, which noted that the board had reviewed four bids.
However, she claimed that she never received them.
According to the board’s minutes, the corporation’s then-general manager had informed the board of the bids received and their costs.
“He compared the costs of advance by the bidders to the costs of scope that was proposed by the quantity of surveyors,” Mrs Saunders-Adderley told the court.
When asked if an assessment was conducted regarding the project’s scope of work, she said no in-house assessment was done but noted that a quantity surveyor’s report was attached to the payments for the project.
Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier asked if she could reveal the date of the quantity surveyor’s construction cost estimate.
The witness responded that the report was dated July 2020.
Asked about the project’s job jacket, Mrs Saunders-Adderley said it was dated December 2020.
The acting DPP then questioned how the quantity surveyor’s report, “which according to the board minutes is the basis of the scope of work”, could be completed after the contract was awarded.
“The board meeting, according to the records, was June 14th, where the contract is to be awarded based on the document and the amount proposed in July, so on the 14th of June, someone knew in the future that the quantity surveyor would provide the document in July,” Mrs Saunders-Adderley replied.
When asked if it is usual for a contract to be awarded before the work is scoped and priced, the witness said it “is illogical to have a price without knowing what you want to do.”
Mr Gibson, the Long Island MP, is on trial alongside Elwood Donaldson Jr, the former WSC general manager, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson, and Jerome Missick.
He faces charges related to his tenure as WSC executive chairman involving his alleged failure to declare his interest in contracts awarded by the WSC.
The defence team includes Mr Damian Gomez KC, Mr Murrio Ducille KC, Ian Cargill, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, and Raphael Moxey.
Meanwhile, the Crown’s legal team comprises Ms Frazier, Karine MacVean and others.
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