Former Cabinet Minister Shane Gibson was back in court on Thursday and he has a new a counsel.

Now leading the defense’s legal team is Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Keith Knight, the same attorney who got PLP MP and former Public Hospitals Authority Chairman Frank Smith acquitted back in February.

Mr. Knight was not in court this morning for the disclosure of documents related to Gibson’s upcoming trial.

However, fellow Queen’s Counsel Damien Gomez explained that Mr. Knight will be available to attend court proceedings August 19 – 30.

Supreme Court Justice Carolita Bethel expressed concern though that the proposed date was so close to the September trial.

Lead attorney for the Crown Terry Archer said he was hoping for a date at the end of July, as he would be on vacation from August 19.

Counsels for both sides agreed to August 30at 11 a.m. and September 3at 2 p.m.

The Supreme Court Justice reminded counsels not to look at this as just a disclosure, but an early pretrial hearing.

Mr. Gibson, former minister of labour and national insurance, was initially charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, 15 counts of extortion, 16 counts of bribery and one count of misconduct in public office, all stemming from claims he received $610,000 from contractor Johnathon Ash.

The extortion charges were later dropped. 

Mr. Gibson’s trial is set for September 23.