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September 18, 2006

Celona under fire in cross-examination

PROVIDENCE -- John A. Celona testified under cross-examination today that he didn’t recall a key early meeting with Robert Urciuoli regarding his attempts to land a job until earlier this month, just before Urciuoli’s trial began.

Celona, the former senator from North Providence, has pleaded guilty to selling his office to Roger Williams Medical Center through a consulting job that he held with a hospital affiliate, the Village at Elmhurst. He is the government’s star witness in the trial of Urciuoli, the former Roger Williams president, as well as former Roger Williams vice president Frances P. Driscoll and former Village co-owner Peter J. Sangermano.

The trial opened its second week today.

Celona testified last week that he first asked Urciuoli for a job with the hospital early in 1997, when Roger Williams was lobbying hard against pending legislation to block its attempted merger with an out-of-state hospital chain. Urciuoli, Celona testified, said to wait and see how things turned out with the legislation.

That summer, after Roger Williams lost its legislative battle, Celona testified that he met again with Urciuoli "about my job,’’ and that Urciuoli agreed to take care of him.

Under attack today by Urciuoli’s lawyer, Richard M. Egbert, Celona admitted that he didn’t tell the government about that first meeting with Urciuoli, either in his many debriefings with the FBI or in his appearances before a federal grand jury, until around Labor Day weekend of this year.

``You never mentioned your earlier discussion about a job, not one word?’’ demanded Egbert.

``That’s right, but it did happen,’’ replied Celona.

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Celona testified that he recollected the earlier meeting with Urciuoli as he was ``going back in my mind’’ in preparation for the trial.

Egbert and Celona clashed repeatedly. Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres often acted as referee, telling Celona several times to answer Egbert’s questions and warning Egbert about ``gratuitous comments.’’ During one heated exchange between Celona and Egbert, the judge said, ``You can’t both talk at the same time.’’

Celona was reluctant to answer even the most basic questions without seeing an underlying document, and accused Egbert of trying to confuse him with ``trick questions.’’

When Egbert pressed Celona to say when he first learned that the Village at Elmhurst was a business partner with Roger Williams, Celona said he couldn’t say, even when Egbert asked for an approximate date or year.

``I just told you – approximately, I don’t know,’’ said Celona.

More to come this afternoon...

Posted by Steve Peoples at 1:24 PM | Permalink

September 18, 2006

Celona under fire in cross-examination

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