(Trinidad Guardian) Two Central Division police officers were allegedly caught red-handed by their seniors receiving a bribe on Wednesday night. The officers, with 30 years’ service between them, may have thrown away their careers for $3,000 and an agouti, the T&T Guardian was told. Police said the officers, who are attached to the Longdenville Police Post, spent two nights in custody at the Chaguanas Police Station when a report was drafted to be submitted to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Investigators said both accused officers were engaged in a road traffic exercise in Longdenville around 1.30 pm on Wednesday when they arrested a motorist and impounded his car after he failed to produce a copy of his car insurance. It is alleged that around 7.30 pm, the driver of the vehicle was told he would be released if he paid $7,000. He was ordered to summon the owner of the car to the station.
When the owner arrived at the station he was questioned about the ownership of the car and was arrested for “aiding and abetting.” A senior police official said the detained men negotiated to have the $7,000 demand reduced to $5,000. However, the driver allegedly said he could only offer $3,000 and two ducks. But the owner of the car bettered the offer by promising $3,000 and an agouti.
The owner was allowed to call his wife and told her to bring the money and the meat to the police post. However, the woman contacted a relative who is a police officer, who then relayed the information to Insp Wayne Lawrence and Cpl Ken Ali.The senior officers devised a plan, telling the woman to supply them with the serial numbers of the money and to place a mark on the envelope and label the bag containing the agouti.
As the woman arrived at the police post, her husband was told to collect the bag and envelope from her. But when Lawrence and Ali confronted the officers, they found the bag of meat but the money was missing. The cash was later discovered in a washroom. The officers were then informed of the operation, arrested and taken to the Chaguanas Police Station.
