The criminal trial for former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament Shane Gibson was delayed for a second day after prosecutors and Gibson’s attorneys spent the better part of Tuesday morning conducting pre-trial arguments.

For nearly four hours, the attorneys were engaged in those pre-trial arguments before Justice Carolita Bethel.

Yesterday was also expected to be the start of jury selection. However, that too did not take place as potential jurors were taken into court shortly after mid-morning for jury selection, but just after noon were dismissed.

Although it was confirmed by Gibson’s lawyer Damian Gomez, QC, that a gag order remains in effect, The Bahama Journal understands that yesterday’s proceedings will have a preliminary legal issue argued.

The former minister of labour and national insurance was in August 2017 arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on two counts of  conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, 16 counts of bribery, 15 counts of extortion and one count of misconduct while in public office.

It is alleged that while serving as a Cabinet minister, Gibson received $610,000 from contractor Jonathon Ash to speed up the process of payment related to clean up efforts after Hurricane Matthew in 2016.  

The extortion charges were later withdrawn by the Crown.

The former PLP MP is being represented by Keith Knight, QC, from Jamaica, Damian Gomez, QC, Owen Wells and Philip McKenzie.

James Guthrie, QC, from England leads the Crown assisted by Destiny McKinney and Terry Archer from the Attorney General’s Office.

Gibson returns to court on Thursday.