TWO more police officers have been charged for breaches of the Corruption Act, bringing to 10, the number of lawmen hauled before the courts since the start of the year.

The two accused cops are Constable Basil Hutchinson of the Spanish Town division and Corporal Ralston Shakespeare of the St Ann’s Bay police station.

Both men, who were allegedly involved in separate bribery attempts, were arrested at the directive of the Director of Public Prosecution, Kent Pantry.

Hutchinson was arrested and charged for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe on April 9, while Shakespeare was arrested and charged five days later.

According to the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), on March 30, Hutchinson stopped a motorist in Spanish Town and gave him two tickets to attend court for traffic violations. He also reportedly threatened to seize the vehicle.

The OPR said Hutchinson then demanded $30,000 not to take the matter to court, but the motorist negotiated for $10,000 and arrangements were made to pay. However, on April 4, the motorist reported the matter to the OPR and a sting operation was subsequently mounted in the vicinity of the agreed drop-off point. After the complainant paid over $6,000 in marked bills to Hutchinson, the OPR closed in on him. They searched him and recovered the marked bills.

He was subsequently arrested and charged for soliciting and accepting a bribe, and appeared in the Spanish Town Criminal Court on April 9 and was granted $30,000 bail to return on Monday April 28.

Shakespeare allegedly tried to pull off a similar scheme after serving a taxi operator three traffic tickets in St Ann’s Bay. He issued the tickets on Monday March 3, but is alleged to have later contacted the taxi operator, told him the tickets would fetch him a heavy fine and asked for $5,000 to drop the charges.

The matter was reported to the police and a similar operation set up with marked bills. On Tuesday March 18, the motorist paid over the money to Shakespeare at the St Ann’s Bay police station. However, the corporal managed to elude the OPR.

Statements were collected and sent to the DPP, who ordered his arrest for soliciting and obtaining money.

Shakespeare was arrested on April 14, taken before the Brown’s Town Criminal Court and offered bail in the sum of $500,000. He is to return to court on Monday, May 12.