Day three of the high profile bribery trial of former Cabinet Minister Shane Gibson continued yesterday and the prosecution called its principle witness Jonathan Ash to the stand, where he admitted that he paid Gibson more than $25,000. 

During cross examination, the court heard that in the case of one of his projects, Ash had to start paying his workers himself as the government was taking too long and the payments ranged from $50 per day to $75 per day.

Ash said he got so frustrated with the lack of payment that he went to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and met Jack Thompson around the third week of January 2017.

Thompson, he said, then directed him to meet with Deborah Bastian.

According to the witness, at this point, the government owed him anywhere between $800,000 and $1.5 million.

He said prior to this, he had never met Bastian, adding that he met her and Gibson at Gibson’s office. At the time, he explained he was owed money and needed to be paid.

Ash told the court that during the meeting, Bastian yelled out for him to tell Gibson he gave Mr. Rahming, the chief engineer at the Ministry of Works, some money.

Ash then admitted that he did pay Mr. Rahming money prior to the meeting.

Ash then said he didn’t come to expose anyone, but at that point during the meeting, Gibson smiled, got up and said “y’all two talk” and left the room.

Following the 20-minute conversation with Bastian, Ash said he called the bank to get $20,000 and went home to get another $20,000, then met Bastian at the parking lot of Commonwealth Bank Oakes Field branch to give her the funds.

As a result of that meeting he said he received a cheque between January 17 and 19 for $250,000.

He added that Bastian gave him the cheque at NEMA on Harold Road.

All together, Ash said he gave $200,000.  Additionally, he said on a few occasions after paying Bastian, he saw Gibson and Bastian meeting in the then minister’s car.

In January 2017, Ash said he started directly communicating with Gibson straight up to Election Day.

Sometimes, he said, Gibson told him he needed some shingles, which meant money and he paid him.

Ash said he paid Gibson $25,000 on two occasions and $10,000 on another three occasions. 

The trial resumes today at 10 a.m.