ST JAMES, Jamaica — Seven cops attached to the St James Division were on Monday placed before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court to answer to charges of extortion following a ruling from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

They cops Devon Bernard, Marven Campbell, Paul Williams, Tajay Allen, Alman Fletcher, Dwayne Lynch, and Denford Brown were offered $500,000 bail each and are scheduled to return to court on February 6.

Under the Corruption Prevention Act, Williams is facing an additional charge for corruptly soliciting a sum of money while Lynch, Allen and Bernard are also charged for corruptly accepting. With the exception of Williams, the other six men are also charged for aiding and abetting.

According to the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), it’s alleged that in late November, the policemen carried out an operation in Montego Bay during which a quantity of ganja was found at a premises. The seven are accused of thereafter soliciting and accepting a sum of money from the owner of the premises to forego prosecution.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) and a probe was launched resulting in the arrest of the men.

Head of the ACB, Assistant Commissioner of Police Selvin Hay had high praises for the investigators saying that the ACB Area One office is committed to “dealing effectively and decisively with corruption in that section of the island”.