WESTERN BUREAU — The trial of the two Montego Bay police constables who were charged with breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act last month, was yesterday rescheduled for July 22 because one of the witnesses was absent.

The constables — Sheldon Channer, 23, and Mark Cranston, 29 — had their $100,000 bail extended until then.

The police reported that on May 7, the constables stopped a motorist who was on his way to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay with his wife who lives overseas.

According to the police, on realising the man’s car was neither licensed nor insured, they allegedly demanded $15,000 from him and directed him to the automated teller machine at Ironshore to withdraw the money.

When they got there, however, the machine was not working and they reportedly told the man and his wife to use the machine at the airport. But that machine was also malfunctioning and they allegedly took away the couple’s passports, airline tickets and the documents for their car and told them they would be returned as soon as they had paid the money.

Later that night, the two allegedly telephoned the man several times and ‘instructed’ him to meet them at the airport roundabout the following day. But rather than meeting with them, the man reported the incident to the police and the accused cops were later pointed out while on an identification parade.

When the matter was brought before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, clerk-of-court, Natalie Messado-Brown told presiding magistrate, Valerie Stephens that the female complainant was absent.

The court was told she was in England and was currently in the process of trying to secure an emergency passport because the constables took her original passport.