Two police officers accused of corruptly receiving money were both placed on bail after they pleaded not guilty in a city court yesterday.
Colin Bailey, 51, of 63 South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara and Paul Paddy, 29, of Cane Grove East Coast Demerara, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1.
The men were accused of corruptly collecting $300,000 as inducement for the release of a prisoner Kissoondat Premsook, on May 7, whilst they were employed as agents of the government at the Vigilance Police Station.
Bailey was additionally charged with receiving from Premsook $50,000 on June 15, as inducement for not charging him at the said police station.
Their attorney, Jerome Khan, asked that his clients be released on their own recognizance since the charge against them was an attempt by an individual to tarnish the defendants’ character as police officers.
Khan said that Bailey has twenty-nine years of unblemished service with the Guyana Police Force and noted that the father of three children was serving as the station sergeant at the said police station. Paddy, a father of two, also has an unblemished record, Khan said while arguing that the men are innocent of the charges.
He also said that the defendants are still employed with the force and they pose no risk of flight. In addition, the two accused were fully cooperative in the investigation, Khan said.
The attorney further explained that the incident stemmed from a report which the ranks were investigating.
The man who accused the police of collecting the bribe is a deportee and was previously imprisoned in the United States, Khan added. Counsel further alleged that the man that made the accusation against the police officers, threatened that he would `get back’ at the officers after they began investigating the report against him.
There was no objection to bail by Prosecutor Bharat Mangru. He said that since the defendants are still employed with the police force they will be required to report for duty.
Bailey was released on $200,000 bail and he was ordered to lodge his passport with the court, while Paddy was placed on $100,000 bail.
Their next appearance will be at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court on July 9.
