THE five policemen from the disbanded Crime Management Unit (CMU) who were arrested and charged with the murder of seven youth in Braeton, St Catherine 32 months ago, were offered bail in the sum of $2 million when they appeared in the Supreme Court, yesterday.

They were booked to return to court on Friday, December 19, when the case will again be mentioned.

A sixth policeman, who was also ordered charged by Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry, did not show up in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

However, the attorney for the policeman — Sergeant Raymond Miller — told the court that his client was abroad with the force’s permission receiving medical treatment for a gunshot wound he received last year. He is due back in Jamaica next week Friday and arrangements will be made to put him before the court.

Appearing in court yesterday were:

* Constable Miguel Ebanks;

* Constable Leighton Bucknor;

* Corporal Wayne Constantine;

* Corporal Linroy Edwards; and

* Constable Devon Bernard.

Justice Wesley James, in granting bail to the policemen, after submissions from attorney Churchill Neita — who is leading a team of nine lawyers — ordered them to surrender their travel documents to the police and report to the police commissioner’s office between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm every Tuesday and Friday, except Bucknor, who will report between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm.

A three-man team led by senior deputy director of public prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, is marshalling the prosecution, while attorney Kathryn Phipps and three others are watching on behalf of families of the deceased.

More than 100 policemen, headed by Police Federation chairman, Sergeant David White packed the small courtroom and the corridors in support of their colleagues.

Former head of the disbanded Crime Management Unit, Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams, who was also a part of the Braeton operation, was also on hand to give support to his collegues.

The charges against the cops arose from an incident in Braeton where the police said they went to execute an arrest warrant, but were fired on by men from the Braeton house.

The fire was returned and at the end of the gunbattle, seven young men were found with gunshot wounds.

They were:

* Reagon Beckford,14;

* Christopher Grant, 17;

* Dane White, 19;

* Tamoya Wilson, 20;

* Andre Virgo, 20;

* Lancebert Clarke, 19; and

* Curtis Smith, 20.

The police said that they recovered four guns from the house, including the one taken from a policeman who was shot dead at the Above Rocks Police Station in St Catherine by a man who went in asking for water.

The case was put before a coroner after residents and human rights activists questioned the police’s version of events and claimed that the youths were killed in cold blood.

The findings of a coroner’s inquest were, however, inconclusive as the jury ruled six-four in June this year that no one was criminally responsible for the killings.

The files were then sent to Pantry for review and a ruling and he eventually ruled that the six cops should be charged.