A police sergeant was yesterday arrested at a police station in `C’ Division (East Coast) shortly after he collected a bribe from a businessman to settle a gun-related offence.
Up to press time last evening the rank was under close arrest and he is expected to face a criminal charge shortly. According to a police press release, the policeman was arrested during yesterday with $50,000 in cash in his possession which “he had demanded from a businessman in order to settle a matter of threatening behaviour involving the use of a firearm”.
The sting operation was coordinated between the Police Office of Professional Responsibi-lity (OPR) and CID Headquarters, the police said.
This newspaper was reliably informed that a few days ago the policeman made the demand and the businessman promptly reported the matter.
A plan was subsequently made to catch the rank in the act.
Yesterday, based on a prior arrangement, the money was handed over to the policeman but his colleagues held onto him shortly after the transaction had ended.
Over the years, there have been repeated concerns expressed about ranks engaging in corrupt practices to end matters that have been reported to them.
Senior policemen have vowed that everything will be done to weed out these corrupt ranks from the Force.
