(Jamaica Observer) Superintendent Harry ‘Bungles’ Daley on Monday denied that he had an arrangement to collect payment from a St Catherine businessman in return for protection, as he took the witness stand to start his defence during his corruption trial.
Daley testified to a packed courtroom in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court that the monthly sums he had been collecting from businessman and complainant Tafari Clarke was money owed to him by Clarke’s now deceased uncle, Leonard Miller.
The senior cop told the court that he had loaned Miller J$250,000 in October 2003 to expand his block factory operations. Daley said that an agreement was drafted and signed by himself, Miller and two justices of the peace.
The terms of the agreement, according to Daley, was for Miller to start making repayment to him in January 2004, with an initial sum of J$20,000 and J$10,000 monthly thereafter for two years.
But Daley was unable to produce the document to the court, as it, he said, was taken from his Ebony Vale, St Catherine home by the police, following his arrest on July 31 and never returned.
Daley further testified that he never received any money from Miller who died before January 2004. Daley said following Miller’s death that family members of Miller’s agreed to honour the agreement. Daley said he started receiving payment in 2005, from Miller’s son, Leonard Miller Jr, who gave him J$30,000.
