By thegallery242.com
NASSAU| In the latest day of testimony in the Adrian Gibson trial, a Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) executive shed light on payment protocols.
When questioned about the board’s approval limit, she disclosed it stood at $250,000.
During reexamination, the prosecutor directed the witness to tally the payments, revealing they far exceeded the contracted amount.
Under cross-examination, she revealed that invoices undergo thorough scrutiny before payment, involving multiple steps to verify completed work.
The executive clarified that only after these checks would the accounts department issue a check or initiate a bank transfer to the contracted company.
Defense attorney Murrio Ducille probed further, inquiring if this amount encompassed value-added tax (VAT). The executive affirmed that the policy remained unchanged, and the $250,000 cap included VAT.
Ducille then requested her to read the policy aloud. The policy stated that the board’s maximum approval amount was $250,000, with no mention of VAT inclusivity.
Under additional questioning, the executive clarified the purpose of change orders, explaining they typically pertain to tasks beyond the contract’s initial scope, initiated once the work is underway.
Gibson, who is facing 56 counts, is accused of failing to disclose his interests in contracts, with prosecutors asserting he gained over $1 million from contracts awarded to Elite Maintenance and Baha Maintenance and Restoration.
Allegedly, he laundered these funds through property and vehicle acquisitions.
He is on trial along with Elwood Donaldson, Rashae Gibson, Joan Knowles, Jerome Missick, and Tonya Demeritte.
