Bobby Ferguson, center, leaves federal court with lawyer Gerald Evelyn, right.
A businessman who testified he paid Bobby Ferguson almost $2 million because he feared the close friend of ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick beat Ferguson in a 2006 city deal.
Ferguson lawyer Gerald Evelyn chronicled the bidding process to counter allegations that his client had the power to rig bids and win deals because of his close friendship with Kilpatrick.
In 2006, a Ferguson team lost out on a $14 million water department deal. The winning bidder: Avinash Rachmale’s firm Lakeshore Engineering Services.
Lakeshore won the work even though a Ferguson team had the highest-ranking bid, according to testimony Monday.
The Ferguson team won a sister contract worth almost $16.5 million.
“Mr. Ferguson didn’t evidence any connections to take both contracts?” Evelyn asked.
“No,” Rachmale said.