News

Constable arrested for accepting money

By STEPHANIE ELLIOTT, STAR Writer

clarendon

A POLICE CONSTABLE from the May Pen Traffic Department was arrested on Monday after he was accused of taking money from a taxi driver who had committed a traffic offence.

The officer, THE STAR has learnt, was stripped of his police uniform and service firearm and later transported to an unknown location, where investigations will be continued.

When THE STAR visited the May Pen Police Station on Monday, the handcuffed officer was seen being escorted to an unmarked police vehicle.

Efforts to have police personnel verify allegations made against the young officer proved futile, but sources told THE STAR that the officer had confiscated an illegal taxi in the town sometime last week and bargained with the driver to have the charges against him dropped, for money.

An amount was agreed to and the cabbie reported the matter. A sting operation was set up, which resulted in the officer being caught in the act of accepting the money.

Sources say the constable was being investigated for some time, as there have been several reports of misconduct against him.

Word of the officer's arrest spread like wildfire throughout May Pen and soon scores of people gathered at the station's gate to get a view of what was happening.