Four policemen charged with various offences
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Four police officers have been arrested and charged in relation to separate incidents following rulings handed down by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Charged are Corporal Howard Richards, Corporal Andrew Tinker, Constable Headley Gray and Constable Orlando Webster.
According to the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) of the constabulary, Richards of the St Elizabeth Division was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm following a July 2012 incident.
It is reported that Richards was on an operation when he assaulted an individual while making an arrest.
A report was filed and an investigation launched. Richards was arrested and charged on Tuesday, December 1. He appeared in the St Elizabeth Parish Court and was offered bail in the sum of $300,000 with 1-3 sureties.
He is to reappear in court in February 2021.
Gray and Webster of the Trelawny Division were arrested and charged with breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act on December 16.
The police said that both policemen were on a pre-dawn operation on September 13, 2019 in the Stewart Town area of the parish.
A motor vehicle was intercepted and a man seen with five goats aboard, for which he could not give a proper account.
It is alleged that the policemen solicited $70,000 from the owner of the goats to have them returned.
A report was made and an investigation launched. Both constables were subsequently arrested and charged.
They appeared in the Trelawny Parish Court on Wednesday, December 16 and were offered bail in the sum of $400,000. They are to reappear in court in March 2021.
Investigators also arrested and charged Tinker, who is assigned to St Catherine North Division with breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.
According to CCU, Tinker was on duty when suspects were brought in for breaches of the Noise Abatement and Disaster Risk Management Acts.
They were offered bail in the sum of $50,000 and l Tinker reportedly solicited $2,000 from the suspects to have their bail reduced to $30,000.
The accused were subsequently released and a report filed against Tinker.
He appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday, December 1 and was granted bail in the sum of $150,000.
His trial is set to begin on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
CCU said all four officers have been suspended from duty.
