A shopkeeper who has been implicated in the car impound racket, was on Friday granted bail in the sum of $50,000 bail when he appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate's Court.

Fifty-year-old Garfield Grey was arrested and charged for allegedly brokering a deal between a robot taxi operator and masterminds of the illegal scheme.

The court was told that Grey, who is of a North Street, Kingston address, met the robot taxi-operator along Windward Road earlier this year, and told him that he could get cars released from the municipal impound for $10,000. The robot taxi-operator allegedly told Grey earlier that his car had been seized by the police, and that he was having difficulties getting it released.

It is alleged that both men then made arrangements to get the car released illegally. However, the taxi-operator, the court was told, then went to the police and made
a report.

A sting operation was then set up, during which Grey was allegedly seen by undercover police officers accepting marked bills from the taxi operator. Hours later, the court was told, the car and its documents were brought to the location and handed over to the complainant. The police then swooped down on Grey and he was arrested.

But the police said their checks revealed that no authorisation was given for the car to be released. According to the investigative officer, the police is also conducting an investigation to determine if the documents authorising the release of the car were fraudulently produced as their checks showed no such authorisation.

The hearing was then rescheduled for July 31.

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