Sergeant in court for taking bribe

POLICE Sergeant Deolal Rampersad, who was charged three weeks ago with soliciting a bribe and corruption, appeared before a Siparia magistrate yesterday. Rampersad, 48, who has some 27 years police service, appea-red before Magistrate Jo-Anne Connor. He was unrepresented. He was not called on to plead as the charges were laid indictably.

Rampersad, who was attached to the Oropouche Police Station, initially app-eared three weeks ago before a Port-of-Spain magistrate and was granted bail. The matter was then transferred to the Siparia Magistrates’ Court. The charges against Rampersad alleged two counts of soliciting and three for corruptly receiving cash and two bottles of whiskey on January 7. The charges were laid by officers of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Hearing of the charges was postponed to March 7.