KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dr Jephthah Ford’s attorney, Bert Samuels, described his client as a good person who, through his actions, enabled his mother to live for an additional five days after she collapsed on Red Hills Road.

Samuels, who made the statement a short while ago when he took to the stand to give character evidence in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, explained that his client administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and took her to hospital where she died days later.

Ford’s sentencing hearing, which was expected to be completed last Friday, was delayed until today, after his attorney Bert Samuels indicated that he too wished to take the stand as a character witness.

In 2014, he was arrested and charged with attempting to bribe a police officer to release two Surinamese men who had been caught with nearly $60 million. He also requested the return of the confiscated funds.

During the 10-day trial, which started in May, prosecutor Joel Brown led evidence that Ford was caught on camera offering a percentage of the money seized to a police officer in exchange for the release of the 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.

Ford told the court, during the trial, that he was trying to assist the Surinamese men by preventing them from remaining in custody because he feared they 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”.

Court is currently on a break for the judge to consider the sentence.

Racquel Porter