Well-known medical doctor Jephthah Ford is to be sentenced in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on October 25 after he was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice.

The doctor was last Thursday convicted after he attempted to bribe a police officer to release two Surinamese men, who were caught in 2014 with nearly $60 million, and to return the confiscated funds.

Prosecutor Joel Brown had led evidence during the 10-day trial, which started last May, that Dr Ford was caught on camera offering 40 per cent of the money seized to a police officer in exchange for the release of the Surinamese men and the funds.

The two foreigners — Roshen Daniels and Murvin Reingould — were held after police intercepted a motor vehicle on Half-Way-Tree Road in St Andrew on April 7 and found US$533,886 and J$1.3 million.

The men were later taken to their apartment where the police seized an additional US$3,000, J$700 and 55 Surinamese dollars.

The two were subsequently charged with possession of criminal property and conspiracy to possess criminal property, but were freed of the charges when they appeared in court.

Dr Ford had contacted the officer while the men were in custody and requested a meeting to discuss the case.

During the meeting, Ford was captured on camera asking for the case against the men to be dismissed and the confiscated funds returned in exchange for 25 per cent of the money, but later agreed to 40 per cent of the sum.

But Dr Ford, in his defence, told the court that he was trying to assist the Surinamese men by preventing them from remaining into custody because he feared were going to be killed by the police.

He also indicated that he knew that he was being recorded but did it to “draw out corrupt cops”.

— Tanesha Mundle