Alleged extortionist gets bail

A 19-year-old man accused of trying to extort $6 million in cash, phone credit and high-end cellphones from telecommunications company Digicel, was offered bail in the sum of $600,000 when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today.

The accused, Leon Pryce, of Cross Pen, Spanish Town St Catherine, is alleged to have threatened to reveal incriminating information, which could damage the company’s image, locally and internationally, if his request was not met.

Pryce reportedly demanded $4 million in cash, $1 million in phone credit and another $1 million in high-end cellular phones from the company.

However, he was nabbed by detectives from the Organised Crime Investigation Division, (OCID), in a sting operation on June 21 after he met with representatives from the company and received a $4 million managers cheque.

Pryce, who is charged with three counts of extortion, was offered bail by Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, following an application by his attorney, Alexander Williams.

Williams told the court that his client was not trying to extort payment from the company but that he had an arrangement to sell information, pertaining to fraud within the company, to Digicel.

Pryce was ordered to return to court on July 30.