Second Constitutional Motion Dismissed in Long Island MP Case

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A judge, on Thursday, dismissed a second constitutional challenge by embattled FNM MP Adrian Gibson, aimed at stopping his corruption trial that is slated for July 24.

Murrio Ducille KC argued on behalf of Gibson and his co-accused Joan Knowles and Jerome Missick that their constitutional right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time had been breached because the Supreme Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the charges they faced.

Ducille argued that the voluntary bill of indictment, which brought the charges before the Supreme Court, was “fatally flawed.”

According to Ducille, the defendants should have been given the opportunity to choose whether they wanted a trial in the Magistrates’ Court of the Supreme Court on charges of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, receiving and money laundering.

Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson ruled that the defendants’ constitutional rights had not been breached by the presentation of the voluntary bill of indictment, as all of the charges were properly before the court.

Ducille further argued that the trial had experienced numerous delays and adjournments.
Justice Grant-Thompson noted that the jury that had been selected on May 18 was dismissed last month to address concerns of potential bias against the defendants due to the delays.

The Court of Appeal in June ordered the trial to continue after dismissing another constitutional motion brought by Ducille.

That motion alleged that the defendants’ right to a fair trial had been breached by the failure of the prosecution to disclose all material available to the defense.

Ducille also objected to the prosecution’s key witness, Alexandria Mackey, being allowed to testify by videolink instead of in person.

Gibson’s other co-defendants are Elwood Donaldson Peaches Farquharson and Rashae Gibson.