One of the Bahamas’ most closely watched public corruption prosecutions reached a major procedural milestone this week, when the Crown officially closed its case against former Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) executive chairman Adrian Gibson and four co-defendants after more than two and a half years of prosecution evidence presentation. The development came right after the prosecution finished its examination of its star witness, Alexandria Mackey, Gibson’s former fiancée, before Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson. Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier confirmed the prosecution’s decision to wrap its case in open court. This ruling paves the way for the long-delayed proceeding to move into its next critical phase: the defense’s presentation of evidence.
The case traces back to 2022, when Gibson entered a formal not guilty plea to the charges against him. Jury selection for the trial was completed in May 2023, and opening arguments and witness testimony got underway that November. Joining Gibson in the dock are four other defendants: former WSC general manager Elwood Donaldson Jr, Joan Knowles, Peaches Farquharson and Jerome Missick. All five accused are facing charges tied to public works contracts awarded by the WSC during Gibson’s tenure at the head of the state-owned utility. All defendants have repeatedly and unequivocally denied any criminal wrongdoing connected to the contracts.
At the core of the prosecution’s allegations is the claim that the contracts awarded under Gibson’s leadership were directed to hidden business interests owned or controlled by Gibson and his close associates, diverting public funds for private gain. Mackey, a key insider witness, returned to the witness stand this week for the final stretch of her testimony, as prosecutors worked to undercut defense claims that her accusations were nothing more than unsubstantiated claims. To back their case, prosecutors introduced a trail of documentary evidence including bank statements, corporate registration documents and internal email correspondence that they say ties the alleged improper arrangements to Gibson.
Much of the day’s testimony focused on the purchase of two parcels of land, lots eight and nine in the Farrington Road district of the Bahamas. Prosecutors told the court their financial records trace the funds used to buy the property directly to companies they allege are secretly linked to Gibson. Mackey testified that she and Gibson had discussed purchasing property in that area before their romantic relationship ended in a public split. Damian Gomez KC, Gibson’s lead defense attorney, raised objections to portions of Mackey’s testimony, arguing that she was engaging in speculation about the true purpose of the financial transactions tied to the purchase.
Prosecutors pushed back against the defense’s objections, noting that Mackey’s testimony was rooted in direct personal experience and aligned with the physical documentary evidence submitted to the court. Senior Justice Grant-Thompson ultimately ruled in favor of the prosecution, upholding the admissibility of Mackey’s testimony and confirming that her statements were based on her personal knowledge of the events and the documents she had reviewed.
Beyond the land purchase, prosecutors also questioned Mackey about how WSC contracts were awarded to companies tied to Gibson, and the widespread subcontracting of portions of the awarded work to third-party firms. The witness walked through records detailing public water tank refurbishment projects, and confirmed that based on the documentary evidence presented, the state-owned WSC suffered financial losses as a result of the awarded contracts.
Questioning then turned to subcontracting arrangements for Top Notch, a firm that has been repeatedly named during the trial as a subcontractor for work on the water tank projects. Defense attorneys submitted a formal letter to the court outlining their concerns over lengthy project delays and alleged breaches of the subcontract agreement for the water tank works. The document details a ongoing business dispute between Elite Maintenance, the lead contractor, and Top Notch, alleging that Top Notch failed to begin contracted work on schedule, refused to submit a formal project completion timeline, and did not provide required proof of insurance coverage, all of which led to the termination of Top Notch’s subcontract. The introduction of the letter comes as both sides continue to dispute the legality and propriety of the subcontracting arrangements tied to the WSC water tank contracts.
After Mackey completed her final testimony, the court dismissed her as a witness, formally notifying her that she was free to leave the Bahamas jurisdiction if she chose. Immediately after her dismissal, DPP Frazier confirmed that the prosecution had no more witnesses or evidence to present, officially closing the Crown’s case after years of proceedings.