By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

ROBERT Deal, general manager of the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC), testified in court yesterday that he was reluctant to sign a document related to a water tank painting project in which he was not directly involved.

His testimony came during the ongoing criminal trial of Long Island MP Adrian Gibson and others, who are accused of misconduct.

Mr Deal’s comment was made as Damian Gomez, representing the defence, continued his cross-examination of the witness. Deal confirmed that the WSC board had approved five contracts, each valued at $235,000 plus VAT, to paint water tanks in June 2020. He also agreed that the general manager at the time participated in the board meetings, though he was not present when the specific project was discussed.

Mr Deal admitted he did not attend the board meeting regarding the water tank painting and therefore could not speak to what was discussed.

He further explained that he had initially removed two tanks from the project proposal as they were unsuitable for painting.

When questioned about why the additional work done on the project was not documented in the job jacket, Mr Deal said that the job jacket applied only to phase one of the work. While he did sign the relevant document, he emphasised that he did so reluctantly, as he was not directly involved in the project. He also confirmed that he did not sign the change order, which would have accounted for additional costs, for the same reason.

Geoffrey Farquharson, one of the defence attorneys, raised a strong objection to Mr Deal’s testimony, describing his answers as “foolishness” and accusing him of wasting the court’s time.

Mr Farquharson also alleged that acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier had been muttering within earshot of the jury, prompting a response from Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson. The judge noted that while she did not hear Mrs Frazier, she had observed Farquharson reacting audibly to the witness’s statements and reminded all lawyers to conduct themselves accordingly.

The trial, which is focused on allegations of misconduct and failure to declare interests in government contracts, continues with Mr Gibson, former WSC GM Elwood Donaldson Jr, and others facing charges related to their roles in awarding contracts during Mr Gibson’s tenure.

The defence team includes Mr Gomez, Mr Farquharson, Murrio Ducille KC, Ian Cargill, Bryan Bastian, Ryan Eve, and Raphael Moxey. The Crown’s legal team includes acting Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier, Karine MacVean, and others.