Odel Percival, one of two policemen charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by bribing a fellow lawman due to testify in the $7M Bel Air heist trial, was on Thursday found guilty and sentenced to one year in jail.
Percival, 33, of Lot 482 Number One Road, Corentyne, Berbice along with Police Prosecutor Sergeant Lionel Harvey, was charged with consciously attempting to pervert the course of justice by offering Constable 19911 Kelvin Liverpool a sum of $100,000.
It was alleged that the offer was an attempt to have Officer Liverpool provide evidence in favour of Jermaine Mitchell, who is charged with armed robbery of $7.2 million from the Bel Air residence of businessman Malcolm Panday.
Percival, who had been a serving member of the police force for 13 years, pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was arraigned before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in February.
The other accused in the matter, Harvey, is still at large. When the case was previously called in February, Harvey did not appear at court but it was subsequently stated by the prosecution that Harvey was not aware that he had to attend court. Magistrate Latchman had then issued a summons.
Mitchell, Hardat Kumar Chandraradha Rampersaud, Aubrey Simon, and Rayon Jones were charged and are on trial for the $7M robbery.
