Update: Woman Takes Plea Deal in WSC Case

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – In a surprise move, one of the defendants in the Water and Sewerage corruption case took a plea deal today.

As part of the agreement, 43-year-old parking lot attendant Tanya Demeritte will be a prosecution witness against Adrian Gibson, the sitting Free National Movement Member of Parliament and former executive chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

Gibson is accused of failing declare his interests in contracts awarded to Elite Maintenance and Baha Maintenance and Restoration. He’s further accused soliciting and accepting bribes to ensure that the companies were awarded contracts totaling $1.2 million and laundering the proceeds by purchasing cars and real estate.

Demeritte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretenses, fraud by false pretenses and money laundering when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans.

Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier told the Court that Demeritte agreed to act as a director of Elite Maintenance, although she had no real interest in the company.

Frazier said Demeritte and others bribed, Gibson, a public servant, in order to obtain contracts for landscaping and maintenance from the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

Between June 3, 2019 and March 23, 2021, she said, Demeritte and others defrauded the Corporation out of $162,808, which was paid to Elite Maintenance for landscaping.

Additionally, between July 2, 2020 and March 2, 2021, Demeritte and others fraudulently obtained $538,650.08 for the maintenance of lower level tanks one and two.

Demeritte presented herself as the director of the company and the general operations contractor, Frazier said.

She laundered some of the money by acquiring three Kia Cerato, with a collective value of $22,200 from Hertz Car Rental on January 13, 2021.

On the same date, Demeritte transferred ownership of the vehicles to Aaron’s Car Rental in Bunches Long Island.

Magistrate Vogt-Evans accepted Demeritte’s pleas after she admitted to the summary of the evidence that the prosecution would have presented against her if the case had gone to trial.

Demeritte was sentenced to three years of probation. She risks being sentenced to two years in prison if she does not remain of good behavior during the probationary period.

Demeritte must also compensate the Water and Sewerage Corporation $10,000 by July 29.

David Cash represents Demeritte, who told the court that she took the plea deal voluntarily.