⚖️ Jury deliberation continues in corruption case against former NHDT chair

The jury in the trial of Geoffry William Ebanks, former chair of the National Housing Development Trust (NHDT), continues to deliberate on charges of corruption. Ebanks is accused of breach of trust and conflict of interest in violation of the Anti-Corruption Act. The charges stem from allegations that Ebanks redirected soil and other materials cleared from a North Side NHDT site to his own land. The jury, consisting of six women and one man, was instructed not to discuss the case outside of the jury room and to continue deliberations on the following day. 🕵️‍♀️

Ebanks, who denies any wrongdoing, allegedly used his position to divert as many as 100 truckloads of material to his own and his family’s land. The material was intended for Beacon Farms, a rehabilitation agricultural facility that provides work for recovering addicts. Instead, the material was used on Ebanks' land and that of his father. Ebanks has maintained throughout the trial that he was simply trying to keep the project on track and help the country. The jury will continue to review the evidence and legal issues in order to reach a verdict. ⚖️