The  Minister of Health  Dr. Duane Sands says he does not have any fundamental issue   with the government assisting a former Cabinet Minister Shane Gibson  with his medical bills.  Mr. Gibson made a  request for assistance to the  government recently.   

Dr. Sands insisted that although Gibson, a former member of parliament for Golden Gates, is facing  allegations before the courts  of bribery charges, an individual is innocent until proven guilty. 

“I don’t have any fundamental issues with it. Certainly, I think you have to separate out allegations from known facts and what is factual is that Shane Gibson was a Cabinet Minister on two occasions. 

“To that end, he has put a request in to the government of The Bahamas for assistance with medical attention. This is not an unusual request and the government of the Bahamas would have responded accordingly,” Dr. Sands said.

“There is a fundamental principle that individuals are innocent until proven guilty and so not withstanding whatever allegations, until such time as an individual is either exonerated or convicted,  they are innocent until proven guilty,” Dr. Sands said.   

In August last year, during his arraignment the former Minister of Labour and National Insurance, Gibson appeared before the courts with a noticeable leg injury which his attorney said was caused by a boating accident prior to his arrest. However, it has not been confirmed if this is the reason for the request for medical assistance. 

Gibson was then charged with several counts of bribery and extortion and was granted $40,000 bail.