BY TASHIEKA MAIR, Star Writer
WESTERN BUREAU
THREE MEN WHO were charged with unlawful possession of property had the case against them dismissed after the investigating officer failed to show when the case was mentioned in the Montego Bay RM court last Wednesday.
The three, Hopeton Whittingham, Christopher Calvin and Desmond Gentles were all charged with unlawful possession of property. However, it was revealed to the court that the investigating officer has not attended court since the case was brought before the court on August 22.
RM Winsome Henry dismissed the case saying that she was quite displeased at the officer's lack of interest in the case and said that this type of behaviour should be reported to the officer's superior for disciplinary action to be taken.
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The allegations against the men are that, on August 19 the police went to premises in Anchovy in search of illegal weapons. The officers saw Gentles working on a car. On close inspection of the vehicle it was discovered that the chassis had been tampered with. Gentles told the officer that Calvin had brought the car and instructed him to do body work on the vehicle. He was arrested.
Calvin and Whittingham went to the station the following day and presented documents as proof of ownership of the vehicle, however there was still some discrepancies regarding the chassis number.
When cautioned, they told the police that the chassis was damaged during an accident.
However, according to the police statement, Gentles admitted to being instructed to remove and replace the chassis number. Both men were also arrested and charged.
Defense attorney Trevor Ho-Lyn however said that the men had valid defence as all the other information on the vehicles documents corresponded with everything on the vehicle except the chassis which the men already explained was damaged in an accident.
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