Four police officers were yesterday charged with accepting bribes to allow drug smugglers to go free after the recent interception of a bus loaded with cocaine at Whim, Corentyne.
Assistant Superintendent Terrence Browne, 48, who was the officer-in-charge of the Whim Police Station where the bus was allegedly detained until $6M was handed over, was released on $250,000 bail after pleading not guilty before Magistrate Ann McLennan in a city court yesterday.
But Constables Trevor McKenzie, 26, Shawn McPhoy, 42, and Ray Saul, 27, who are accused of collecting the money and handing over a portion to Browne, were remanded to prison after being read a joint charge. McKenzie, of Princeton, Corentyne, McPhoy, of 174 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, and Ray Saul, of Corentyne, also pleaded not guilty.
It is alleged that the three constables, while being employed as agents of the government in Berbice between September 10th and September 11th, corruptly collected $6M as inducement from Renison Park for not arresting occupants of the bus although they were found with cocaine.
According to the prosecution’s case, the three constables were on the Whim Public Road when they intercepted the vehicle and subsequently carried out a search that uncovered the large amount of cocaine. It is alleged that the ranks demanded money but the occupants of the bus could not meet the demand. As a result, the vehicle was taken to the police station and one of the occupants was allowed to leave to collect the money demanded. After the person returned to the police station with the $6M, the bus and the occupants were allowed to leave.
The prosecution stated that McPhoy then proceeded to Browne’s quarters and gave him a bag of money.
While McPhoy’s lawyer made an application for bail to Magistrate McLennan, the prosecution objected on the grounds that if any of the three constables were placed on bail it is likely that they would tamper with witnesses in the case.
As a result, the three men were remanded to prison by Magistrate McLennan until October 12th, when the matter is to be heard at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.
Browne, 48, of 273 Sisters Village, was separately charged with accepting a sum of money from McPhoy as an inducement for not arresting the occupants of the bus while he was employed as an agent of the government at the Whim Police Station.
Browne’s attorney Lyndon Amsterdam called the allegations that were presented by the prosecution flimsy.
He argued for bail for his client on the grounds that if he were remanded to prison he would be placed among the other three accused and there would be opportunity for communication.
While Magistrate McLennan remanded the constables to prison, she placed Browne on $250,000 bail and ordered him to submit his passport until the end of the trial. His next court date is also October 12th, when the matter will be heard at the Whim’s Magistrate’s Court.
While the constables were shackled and brought through the main entrance of the court complex, Browne was given special treatment. Upon entering the compound, he was allowed to walk through the back entrance and was not shackled or even placed in the prisoner’s dock when the charge was read to him. The three constables were placed in the prisoner’s dock during their arraignment.
The quartet was charged after the police force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) launched an investigation after being alerted about the corrupt transaction involving police ranks following the seizure of a quantity of cocaine from a Route 63 minibus.
During the probe, Browne was transferred from the Division to Police Headquarters, and the three constables and a subordinate officer were placed under close arrest.
