Jeune Bailey Vankeric
BERBICE rogue Cop,  Constable 19181 Kelvin Chase, age  27 years, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment after he was found guilty on   three charges of simple larceny, assault with intent to rob, and demanding money with menace, which stemmed from an incident involving an East Canje businesswoman, Nadia Jacops. Magistrate Omeyena Hamilton imposed the custodial penalty on the defendant yesterday, after he was found guilty to the offences last Friday. He was remanded into the New Amsterdam  Prison over the weekend , pending his sentence.
Chase,  previously of  Blue Berry Hill, Wismar, Linden, and also of Lot 60 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, pleaded with the Magistrate to reduce the sentence, as the mother of his child is unemployed.
“Your Worship, I begging you ,be lenient with me.  Me child mother ain’t working. I got bills to pay .Please,  your Worship, I begging you to reduce the sentence,” the rogue cop pleaded.
But the Magistrate informed the convict that he will serve three years on each count, which will run concurrently.
According to the prosecution’s case, as being presented by Corporal Roberto Figueira, on September  19, 2008, Chase , then stationed at Central Police Station, was nabbed by his colleagues, as he attempted to extort money from an overseas based Guyanese business couple.
Chase, then assigned to the Enquiries Office at the New Amsterdam Station, stole a .38 revolver and six live rounds of ammunition, from his employer,  thereafter  proceeded to the Canefield Settlement premises of Nadia Jacops,  and demanded $600,000 from her.
The former policeman was involved in a plot to extract money  from the businesswoman, who is the owner of the popular ‘Uprising Bar, Dance Club and Fashion Centre’ after  depositing local  counterfeit notes on their  premises. The sum was to settle the deal.
However, the businesswoman’s husband, Ron,   agreed to a deal  but contacted  a senior police officer instead, who organized a surveillance watch.
At 16:00 hrs on the said date, Mr Ron Jacops,   received a telephone call informing him that someone will be collecting the money shortly, and not long after the cop arrived and proceeded straight into the premises and drew a firearm, which was wrapped in newspaper.
The court was told that the female Jacops was forcefully taken by the cop to the back of the premises, but an alert employee, being armed with a base ball bat, disarmed the unsuspecting rank, who had earlier claimed he was to be paid $200,000 to get the job done.
However, Ron Jacops revealed that a week prior to the incident, some men, posing as patrons,  went to the club and exchanged US notes for local currency. However, the known individuals returned later and stated that the money consist of  counterfeit notes.
The businessman was ordered to pay $650,000 as ‘hush money’, but after alerting senior ranks, Jacops told his blackmailers that he acquired $600,000, and the remainder would be paid at a later date .
He was asked to take the sum to Georgetown, then Rosignol, but he opted for the men to send a representative to his business premises at Rose Hall East Canje, where Chase was given a yellow envelope containing shredded paper which the cop thought was cash.
The businessman  reported  that  the men had approached him  and had threatened to kidnap his family members if the money was not paid within a specific time frame.
Prior to the sentence, Chase was  charged departmentally (within the Guyana Police Force) with bringing discredit to the Force and has since been dismissed.