Traffic cops on corruption charges

HEARING of the preliminary inquiry into corruption charges against two Traffic Branch policemen began yesterday, almost 11 months after the commission of the alleged offences.

Special Reserve Policemen Roland Nicholson and Donald Snaggs are before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court charged with two counts of corruption. It is alleged that the two officers, on December 21, 2002 at Carenage, corruptly solicited an undisclosed sum of money from Wade Cedeno and his fianc?e Lima Andrews as an inducement to forbear criminal charges being preferred. They are also charged with corruptly receiving $320 from the couple at Westmoorings on December 21, 2002, as an inducement to forbear criminal charges being preferred. The charges were laid by Corporal Rocky Mohammed of the Police Anti-Corruption Unit.

The Chief Magistrate read the charges and told both SRPs that the charges were laid indictably and they were not called upon to plead.
When the matter was called yesterday, State attorney Candia James said she was not ready as she had only received the file on Monday and needed time to brief her witnesses. She asked for the matter to be adjourned to January because the alleged victims were going out of the country on their honeymoon. Rangee Dolsingh SC, who is representing Snaggs, said the defence was ready and asked for the matter to proceed. Mc Nicolls stood the matter down for half an hour, giving the prosecutor enough time to start her case.

On the resumption, Dr Charles Seepersad was present and appeared for the other accused, Nicholson. The first witness to be called was Wade Cedeno, who is a trainee mechanic employed with the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago. When the adjournment was taken, Cedeno was still being cross-examined by Dolsingh. Hearing resumes on December 1.