MANCHESTER, Jamaica — The three men now before the Manchester Parish Court facing charges in relation to allegations of corruption at the Manchester Parish Council, will return to court in May 2017.

The accused are Sanja Elliott, who was deputy superintendent for the Road and Works Department, temporary works overseer Kendale Roberts, and Dwayne Sibbles, who was employed by Elliott as a caretaker.

Parish judge Dale Staple extended the bail of all three men in the Manchester Parish Court today.

They will return to court on May 17.

Staple told the prosecutor that he was giving him six months to have the investigation completed.

At the next court date, he said, the move should be to have the case going to trial.

The investigation at the Manchester Parish Council earlier this year was a joint operation by the Office of the Contractor General, Financial Investigation Division and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA).

MOCA alleges that the Manchester Parish Council employees used their positions to misappropriate funds for their benefit and to allegedly enrich their associates.

Alicia Sutherland