Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 27, 1994 TAG: 9404270112
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Leonard J. Bays, founder of L.J. Bays Inc., told the jury that he never intended a note he gave to Rolfe to be interpreted as a bribe.
He said he intended to offer either to reduce a $544.3 million bid by $5,000 or to relinquish a $5,000 bid bond if the county would release him from the bidding concerning the right to manage the county landfill.
Bays testified that he had intended a note, which said "5,000 in bills," to be presented to the county's Solid Waste Commission by Rolfe, Bays' lawyer Drew Davis said.
Rolfe met with Bays the day the commission was to meet to discuss the landfill bids.
Both Rolfe and Bays testified during the circuit court trial that Bays told Rolfe he did not care if his company was chosen to run the landfill, Davis said.
Bays testified that he just wanted to see his company either awarded the bid or removed from the bidding process so it could get on with other work.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***