Three more cops in alleged hit squad granted bail
THREE other police officers believed to be part of a hit squad operating in Clarendon were yesterday offered bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.
Constables Carl Bucknor and Jerome Whyte were both offered $1.5 million bail following an application from Queen’s Counsel K Churchill Neita, who appeared alongside Oshain Cousins.
The third cop, Detective Corporal Kevin Adams was offered bail in the sum of $5 million following a bail application by Valerie Neita-Robertson.
The lawyers told the court, in their application, that the police men acted in self defence and in the course of their duty when the men were shot.
In one incident, Adif Washington was shot in the hospital by a masked man in January 2013 after recuperating from surgery from gunshot wounds he suffered earlier that day. However, Neita-Robertson is contending that Adams had nothing to do with the incident.
Illegal guns were reportedly recovered from the men killed in all the cases except for the hospital shooting.
Adams is charged with four counts of murder and the other two cops charged with one count each.
The prosecution had opposed the bail applications.
All three cops are to return to court on July 23 for either a preliminary enquiry into the killings for which they have been charged or for the matter to be transferred to the Home Circuit Court where they will eventually be tried.
Their bail comes a week after two of their colleagues, who are also linked to the so-called hit squad, were offered bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.
The men are District Constable Howard Brown, who was offered $7 million bail and Constable Peter Samuels, who was offered $1.5 million bail.
The five cops are among a group of 11 police officers charged with multiple killings of civilians.
Last Monday, the cases of four policemen were transferred to the Home Circuit Court, in a move by the prosecution to avoid a preliminary enquiry before trial. The cops whose cases were transferred are Sergeant Leeford Gordon and constables Romaine Del La Hay, Damon Robinson and Collis ‘Chuckie’ Brown. Brown is charged separately from the three and is facing three counts of murder.
