The three policemen accused of accepting a $6 million bribe to free drug smugglers they intercepted with a bus loaded with cocaine at Whim, Coren-tyne, have been granted bail.
Trevor McKenzie, 26, Shawn McPhoy, 42, and Ray Saul, 27, were all remanded on October 2, after the charge was initially instituted. Their superior, Assistant Superinten-dent Terrence Browne, 48, who was the officer-in-charge of the Whim Police Station where the bus was allegedly detained until $6 million were handed over, was released on $250,000 bail.
However, the three policemen were each granted $300,000 bail last week after their attorney George Thomas made an application for bail in the High Court.
Thomas told Stabroek News that he questioned in the High Court why Browne was granted bail and the other ranks were not, especially since in the police force orders are given from the top for everyone to follow. Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang granted bail on Thomas’s application.
It is alleged that the three policemen, while being employed as agents of the government in Berbice between September 10 and September 11, corruptly collected $6 million as inducement from Renison Park for not arresting occupants of the bus although they were found with cocaine.
Browne, 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.
All four accused returned to court yesterday for report and appeared before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.
Attorney Leslie Sobers, who appeared for the McKenzie and McPhoy, questioned the state of the prosecution’s case. In response, police prosecutor Sergeant Althea Solomon indicated that she was not in possession of the case file for the three jointly charged policemen because the accused were first charged in the city. She added that the file has to go through “a process” before being sent to her. As a result, she asked for an adjournment to a date suitable to the defence.
Browne was also given another date to report to court. He was represented by attorney Chandra Sohan, who was also given with a similar explanation about the case file for his client.
After the explanations were given, they were all told to return to court on October 26.
The prosecution’s case is that the three constables were on the Whim Public Road when they intercepted the bus 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 $6 million, 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.
The quartet was charged after an investigation was launched by the police force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), which was alerted to the corrupt transaction.
