MONTEGO BAY, St James - Four policemen were last Friday taken before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court to answer three separate charges of robbery and kidnapping.

The following day, one of two Hanover cops accused of taking a $50,000 bribe from an alleged drug pusher to "compromise" a case against him was taken into custody. The other policeman is being sought by his colleagues.

The cases come as the police force steps up its drive to rid its ranks of corrupt cops who are being targeted by a unit headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Felice.

Yesterday, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), the police information arm, reported that around 2:00 pm the two constables went to a home in Green Island, Hanover where they informed the occupant that he was wanted for breaches of the Dangerous Drug Act.

While transporting the man to the police station, the cops allegedly demanded $200,000 "to compromise the case", according to the CCN. The cops then took the man back to his home where he allegedly gave them $50,000.

The CCN did not name the policemen but said that the constable was held after the man spotted him at the Lucea Police Station where he had gone to report the cops around 7:00 pm.
A file is now being prepared to be sent to the director of public prosecutions for a ruling.

On Friday in the Montego Bay RM Court, the four policemen - constables Maurice Taylor, Anthony Harris, Itrea Shuriah and Omar Gordon were remanded in custody.

Constable Taylor has been charged with robbery; constables Harris and Itrea Shuriah, as well as a civilian, Gavin McNeil, are facing robbery with aggravation charges; while Constable Gordon is facing charges of conspiracy to kidnap and breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

Senior Resident Magistrate Winsome Henry, who presided over all three cases, said that it was "always sad when I have police officers in front of me. You are sworn to protect and serve the citizens of the country but you were not doing that, you were robbing the general public".

The magistrate made the comment as she denied bail applications on behalf of Harris and Shuriah. The prosecution had strenuously opposed bail and the judge commented that it was "not usual for the prosecution to object to bail in these cases".

Taylor is charged with robbing his friend, Rohan Williams, of $140,000.

Defence attorney Sheron Barnes had made a no-case submission on the basis that essential elements of the case against her client had not been proved and parts of the statement were unreliable.
She told the court that the evidence was, at best, tenuous and vague, and that there was an issue of credibility as well.

RM Henry, however, ruled that Taylor did have a case to answer.

The cop, who was last stationed in Runaway Bay, is accused of stealing the money his friend had wanted to use to buy a motor vehicle.

The court was told that both Williams and Constable Taylor had travelled in a car to a bar in Greenwood, near the border of Trelawny and St James. The money was discovered missing from the car after which Taylor drove away with another cop.

The clerk of the court said that despite being a serving member of the police force, Taylor made no effort to start an investigation after his friend had reported his money missing.

Taylor's case will continue on April 10.

Constables Harris and Shuriah were both on suspension and interdiction respectively when they were alleged to have robbed a man of over $80,000.

Harris, who was suspended on a similar charge, the court heard, is alleged to have been held with about $80,000 in his pocket.
Both will face trial starting on May 5, while McNeil's attorney is expected to make a bail application on his behalf in court today.

Meanwhile, Constable Gordon, who is said to have "abandoned his job", is facing charges of conspiracy to kidnap a man who is suspected to have been a player in the Montego Bay lottery scam in June last year.

Gordon was denied bail and will return to court on April 15 when his case will again be mentioned.

The 31-year-old Gordon had left the island on his vacation leave after the incident was alleged to have taken place, but did not return to work when his leave expired in July.

He turned himself in to the police in March this year after he was named as a suspect in the disappearance of 44-year-old Howard Timothy Pattico, who was kidnapped from his home in Bogue Village, Montego Bay. Pattico has not been seen since.

The allegations are that on June 13 last year, Pattico and a woman were at Pattico's house when men armed with guns and wearing bulletproof vests and caps marked police entered the house and robbed the couple of an undetermined sum of money. The men also took Pattico with them. The kidnappers sped away in a getaway car, which was allegedly driven by Gordon.

The court also heard on Friday that Gordon later returned to the house and asked Pattico's girlfriend for money.

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