$40,000 fine for $600 bribe

The officer was ordered by Deputy Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle to pay $9,000 forthwith and the rest within six months.

Prosecutor Krishna Jaglal led evidence that the officer was charged with two counts of soliciting $700 and then $600, from Gary Maharaj on May 29, 2013.

The court heard that prior to demanding the bribe, the officer led Maharaj to believe that he was the wrong party in a vehicular accident.

Maharaj testified that the officer first asked for $700 to forego prosecution. Jaglal later led evidence from Sgt Deodath Seepersad and Cpl Lawrence Joefield of the TT Police Service’s Professional Standards Bureau. The court heard that a ‘sting’ operation was planned with the money being purposefully marked to be identifiable.

The officer and Maharaj met at a store in Princes Town where the former handed over the case to the latter. Undercover officers moved in, identified themselves to the policeman, searched and found the $600 in the officer’s pockets. The officer was at the time stationed at Princes Town Police Station.

Prosecutor Jaglal was instructed by State attorney Kieara Kanhai.

On being arrested, the court heard, the officer told policemen, “Boss, I eh receive salaries in a few months now.” Defence attorney Subhas Panday put it to Maharaj that he placed the money in a box of chicken and chips and shoved the box towards the officer.

But Jaglal, in challenging this claim, asked the lawyer why did he not go to the nearby Princes Town Police Station and enter a report that Maharaj had attempted to bribe him. At the end of the summary trial, Magistrate Earle- Caddle found the officer guilty of two counts of soliciting $700 and $600 and one count of accepting $600.

On the first two counts, she fined him $10,000 each or 18 months in jail. On the third count of receiving, the magistrate fined him $20,000. The officer was granted six months to pay the remaining $31,000. The maximum fine for a police officer soliciting and receiving a bribe is $500,000 and a term of imprisonment