Disgraced former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik struggled to recall any details from his shady dealings with two Jersey pals during testimony today against them for alleged perjury.
The imprisoned Kerik wasn’t combative, but proved to be a less-than-helpful prosecution witness in the Bronx DA’s case against his friends, Frank and Peter DiTomasso.
The brothers told a grand jury in 2006 that their company, Jersey-based Interstate Industrial Corporation, did not pay for renovations to Kerik’s Bronx apartment.
But Kerik admitted later that he took $255,000 in free renovations from that company as a kickback for his help in greasing wheels for lucrative contracts.
So now DiTomasso brothers are being prosecuted for perjury in a Bronx courthouse.
When questioned by prosecutors today about money and services he allegedly received from the brothers, Kerik repeatedly said “I don’t recall,” “I don’t remember” and “I have no idea.”
Kerik told prosecutors he has no memory of who paid for touch ups to his crib, but recalled he wanted to fix it up for his expecting wife Hala.
“I just wanted something liveable,” he testified.
“The whole place was green — green walls, green floors. One room was purple . . . It was a mess.”
Prosecutors went through a long list of improvements made to Kerik’s apartment — jacuzzi, marble entry, co-joining of apartments, wall-to-wall marble in bathroom, new kitchen and appliances.
Kerik maintains that all those upgrades cost just $30,000 and he told contractors he’d get the money to them later.
“You felt that all of that was going to cost $30,000?” Assistant DA Stuart Levy sarcastically asked.
“It was nice — it was much nicer than I anticipated,” Kerik responded.
Kerik is serving time in a federal in a Maryland federal lockup, stemming from his corrupt acts as Mayor Giuliani’s top cop. He’s due to be released a year from this month.
“Is it fair to say you’re not happy to be here?” Levy asked.
“Yes,” Kerik replied.
He pleaded guilty in 2006 to failing to report gifts. Then in 2009 he copped to federal tax charges and which he was sentenced to 48 months in prison.
Additional reporting by Dan Mangan and David K. Li