(Trinidad Express) – Two police constables caught trying to destroy what appeared to be court exhibits in a bonfire at D’Abadie have been arrested.
Sources say the officers – one of whom is a WPC – were detained by their colleagues on the La Resource Road following the discovery.
The constables are attached to the Arima Criminal Investigations Department. The PC has ten years service while the WPC has 12 years service.
Contacted by the Express on the matter, Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert confirmed the incident stating: “Officers received information that (officers) were sighted in an area, and they were burning some stuff. Enquiries are continuing, items were seized and photographs were taken. I am currently awaiting a report on the matter.”
It was only on Monday, a corporal with 12 years service was served with a departmental warning letter following the seizure of court exhibits stored in his locker at the Arouca Police Station.
The narcotic exhibits, which were ordered destroyed in 2003 by a magistrate, consisted of two marijuana joints, one rock of cocaine and a bag containing 16 ($10-worth) pieces of marijuana in a clear plastic bag.
Four completed narcotics case files were also found in the locker on Monday afternoon.
Sources say the other locker, which is located adjacent to the corporal’s, contained a water gun while a desk searched at the station contained five spent shells and a quantity of marijuana.
On Monday PC Andre Barrow was granted $100,000 bail by an Arima magistrate after being slapped with nine charges of misbehaviour in public office, arising out of the alleged discovery of court exhibits at his home.
