Businessman in gun bust gets April 6 date for bribery charge
GARNETT Pellington, the businessman arrested in February’s gun and ammunition find at Munster Road, East Kingston, will again appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on April 6 to answer the charge of attempted bribery.
Pellington was slapped with the bribery charge stemming from allegations that he offered $200,000 to the police to let him go when he was held in the arms bust.
He appeared in court yesterday but the matter was adjourned for the April date.
Charged along with Pellington is Sergeant Russell Robinson, who was assigned to the Elletson Road Police Station.
He is also charged with breaching the Corruption Prevention Act, stemming from allegations that he begged the arresting cops in the Munster Road bust on February 4 to release him.
In addition, Pellington is also charged with 19 counts of illegal possession of firearm, two counts of illegal possession of ammunition and one count of aiding and abetting storehouse break-in and larceny.
Robinson is facing 18 counts of illegal possession of firearms, four counts of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act, one count of illegal possession of ammunition and one count of storehouse break-in and larceny.
Two civilian workers of the Elletson Road police armoury and stores — Charles Morris and David Blagrove — are also charged in the gun and ammunition bust. Both were charged with 18 counts of illegal possession of firearm, one count of illegal possession of ammunition and one count of aiding and abetting storehouse break-in and larceny.
The men were arrested after a search of two premises in East Kingston yielded 19 firearms, 10,600 rounds of ammunition, police vests and $787,000 cash.
The crown is alleging that one gun was found in Pellington’s house and the other 18 guns were found in a motor car for which Robinson had the keys.
The weapons — which included M-16 rifles, shotguns, Uzi sub-machine guns, pistols and revolvers — the ammunition and police vests were discovered to be stolen from the armoury. The police believe that the guns, ammunition and vests were to be sold to the criminal underworld.
All four accused are scheduled to appear in the High Court Division of the Gun Court for trial on June 7 and 8.
