TWO policemen charged with corruptly receiving a bribe made their appearances yesterday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.Fifty-one-year old Sergeant Collin Bailey of Lot 63 South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara and twenty-nine-year-old Paul Paddy of Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, both appeared before the court and were placed on $100,000 bail each.

Both officers denied a joint charge that said on May 7, at Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, while they were employed as agents of the Government at the Vigilance Police Station, they corruptly collected $300,000 as inducement for the release of a prisoner, Kissoondat Premsook.

Bailey was charged separately with an offence that said on June 15 at Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, he received from Premsook $50,000 as an inducement for not charging him.

The duo was represented by attorney-at-law Jerome Khan. He told the court that his clients were innocent of the allegations, and contended that it was a trap and there was no foundation for the charges.

Khan requested that both policemen be placed on their own recognisance, urging the court that both men had fully co-operated with the police during the investigations.

Meanwhile, police prosecutor Bharat Mangru having mentioned that both ranks are serving members of the Guyana Police Force also did not object to self-bail. However, they were asked to lodge their passports.
Bailey was placed on a total of $200,000 bail and Paddy was placed on $100,000 bail. The matter was transferred to Vigilance Magistrate’s Court for July 9.

By Geeta Rampersaud